Adobong Sitaw
Adobong Sitaw
Learn adobong sitaw with pork belly cubes, sitaw, whole garlic, peppercorns, and chili—glossy Filipino vegetable adobo ulam with rice.
Serves 4 · 45m total
The Story
Adobong sitaw is adobo logic applied to the palengke's cheapest gulay—except when someone splurges on liempo, it stops being "budget ulam" and becomes the dish everyone fights over at the table.
The version in the photo is the home-cook upgrade: pork belly cubes that fry until the edges curl and the fat turns translucent, whole garlic cloves that soften and soak up sauce, sitaw that stays emerald green, and whole peppercorns plus siling labuyo for heat you feel in the back of your throat.
It is faster than chicken or pork adobo because the beans cook in minutes. Serve in a deep bowl with rice on the side and extra vinegar-chili sawsawan for people who want it sharper.
Best paired with
Steamed white rice, sukang maasim with siling labuyo, and fried tuyo or daing on the side
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Pork belly is the move for this photo—kasim works but will not give the same glossy fat and browning.
- ✦Leave garlic cloves whole; they turn soft and sweet like mini adobo bombs in each spoonful.
- ✦Add sitaw last and stop when they still look bright green—a slight snap beats mushy beans.
- ✦Spicy upgrade: slit chilies lengthwise before adding so heat bleeds into the sauce without making the whole pot unbearable.
- ✦Finish with 1 tbsp vinegar off heat for extra maasim, the way many lolas do at the table.
- ✦Day-old adobong sitaw fried in a hot pan with the sauce reduced is an underrated leftover hack.
Substitutions
- pork belly → chicken thigh cubes or fried tokwa for meatless
- sitaw → haricot verts or young yard-long beans
- siling labuyo → 1 green finger chili (siling haba), sliced
- cane vinegar → white vinegar plus a pinch more sugar
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Pat pork belly dry. Heat oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Fry belly cubes in a single layer until lightly browned and some fat renders—about 4 minutes. Do not crowd; work in batches if needed.
- 2
Lower heat to medium. Add crushed garlic and onion; cook until soft. Stir in whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3
Pour in soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar. Do not stir for 2 minutes—let the vinegar boil uncovered to mellow. Add Knorr Liquid Seasoning if using.
- 4
Cover and simmer 12–15 minutes until pork is tender and the sauce starts to thicken. Taste; it should be balanced sweet-salty with a gentle sour edge.
- 5
Add sitaw and half the siling labuyo. Stir, cover, and cook 4–6 minutes until beans are tender-crisp and coated in glossy sauce. If too thin, simmer uncovered 2 minutes; if too dry, splash in 2 tbsp water.
- 6
Scatter remaining chilies on top. Rest 2 minutes off heat so peppercorns and whole garlic settle into the sauce. Serve in a bowl with steamed rice and vinegar-chili sawsawan on the side.
Kitchen Timer · 15 min prep first
30:00
