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)

Jollof Rice

After weeks of sickness kept me out of the kitchen, I was anxious to get back in and try out a few Liberian recipes before the month ended.  My first attempt came in the form of jollof rice.  Something we Americans would consider a one-pot meal, jollof rice is a mixture of rice (obviously), meat and tomatoes (sauce and all).  With a few spices thrown in for good measure, it can be most easily compared in cousin form to Creole fare.  That would make sense, after all, since there is the same culinary root to both types of cooking.

Though I used beef stew meat in my version, I have come to understand that most Liberians make jollof rice with chicken, bacon and salt pork.  But, all sources I have seen only list those traditional items with an asterisk - meaning, any meat will do.  For busy moms and harried chefs, it can be a nice way to use up leftovers.  Not a fancy meal.  Not one to impress the in-laws.  But, it's a good, hearty meal for a low-key night.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ibs. cooked meat (such as chicken, bacon, shrimp, smoked pork) cut in 1-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
• (1) 16-oz. can whole tomatoes, stewed
• (2) 6-oz. cans tomato paste
• 2 quarts water
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 cups white rice
• 5 cups chicken stock or water
• salt and pepper, to taste 

Instructions:

1. In a 10-inch skillet, saute meat in 1/2 cup vegetable oil until slightly brown.
2. In a 4-quart kettle, saute yellow onions and green peppers, with ginger if using, in 1/4 cup vegetable oil until soft.  Add can of tomatoes and simmer for 5minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, water, salt, black pepper, thyme, crushed red pepper and the cooked meat.  Simmer for 20 minutes longer.
4. In a 2 quart saucepan, cook rice in chicken stock or water until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine the sauce of the meat with the rice.  Pour the Jollof Rice in a deep bowl, arranging the meat in the center.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.liberianforum.com/recipe.htm)