Pork (or chicken) Adobo with a Slow Cooker

I am not a great lover of pork.  Like my Jewish and Muslim friends, I usually revolt at the sight of the meat.  There is no heavy indoctrination or religious thinking that has conditioned me to this.  I simply don't have a taste for it.  With that said, unlike my Jewish and Muslim friends, I do occasionally bask in the ecstasy of a good sausage or a crispy piece of bacon.  But, those moments are rare.  Perhaps only once every blue moon.  As for the rest of the time, I prefer fish or beef.  Chicken is also a fair alternative. 

I sometimes feel sorry for pork - my poor, porcine friend - he hardly ever gets invited to dinner.  He is always last on my list of groceries, last on my queue of recipes, last in my thoughts of the perfect meal.  He is far from being the champion of my stomach.  I guess that's a good thing; but, not when the country of the month is one which glows at the sight of a pig.  The Philippines is renowned for their succulent use of "the other white meat."  So, when in Rome...or Manila, I suppose...it's best to do as the natives do.  And, in this recipe, I assume the "natives" all had access to one of my favorite kitchen gadgets: the slow cooker.  Assuming this one cultural anachronism, I carried on with the dish quite optimistic about the result.  And, once again, the slow cooker did not let me down. 

Perhaps part of the great flavor of the meal had to do with the ease of cooking.  Perhaps the hours of low and slow heat cooked the pork in a way that rendered it so tender, so different than my dried-out pork chops of the past, that I could stomach the meat for its better texture.  Whatever the case, the meal was wonderful.  Still not a champion.  Still not something I would seek out as a favorite...but, safely, I can say that this type of pork no longer resides at the bottom of my list, either.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs. pork or chicken cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. peppercorns (whole)
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 2 tsp. salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  For best results, put bay leaves and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag and tie tightly with a string before adding to the mixture.  This will add the flavor of both without the problem of biting into them while eating.
2. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours until the meat is thoroughly cooked.  Serve over rice. 

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.food.com/recipe/filipino-adobo-pork-or-chicken-with-slow-cooker-variation-281472)