The Eggplant Dish That Made a Meat Lover Question Everything

Movement Notes

I need to come clean about something. For most of my adult life, eggplant and I had an understanding: I would ignore it in the grocery store, and it would not bother me with its spongy texture and its annoying habit of absorbing oil like a desert mirage. Then I encountered Filipino eggplant adobo, and that entire arrangement collapsed faster than a poorly constructed souffle.

The secret to this dish is the same secret behind most great Filipino cooking: vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and an unreasonable amount of patience. You start by salting the eggplant pieces and letting them sit for up to two hours, which draws out moisture and apparently teaches the eggplant some humility. During this waiting period, I usually find myself staring at the pieces of eggplant on the counter and wondering how something so unassuming is about to become so thoroughly addictive.

While the eggplant sweats, you fry half the garlic in oil until it is crispy and golden, then remove it and set it aside for garnish. These garlic chips are the prize at the end of the rainbow, the crunchy little jewels that you will be tempted to eat straight off the plate before the dish is even finished. Resist this temptation if you can. I cannot.

A small amount of ground pork gets browned in the same pot, followed by the eggplant pieces, which by now have been patted dry and are ready to soak up all that garlicky residual flavor. Then you pour in water, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, pepper, and sugar, and let the whole thing simmer away, partially covered, for about twenty-five minutes. During this time, the eggplant undergoes a remarkable transformation from firm and slightly resistant to silky, tender, and deeply flavored, while the sauce reduces into a glossy, tangy glaze that clings to every piece.

The finished dish is topped with those reserved garlic chips and served with mountains of white rice, which is essential because you will need something to soak up every last drop of that vinegary, savory sauce. I have fed this to people who claimed they did not like eggplant and watched them take second helpings without a shred of shame. That is the power of adobo. It does not ask for your permission. It just wins you over, one silky, garlic-topped bite at a time.

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Source Reference

Original score log: https://salu-salo.com/eggplant-adobo/