Pork belly adobo

1. Place the pork belly, soy sauce, and garlic in a bowl or container. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork belly and cook for a few minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Pour the remaining marinade, including the garlic, into the pot.

4. Add the water, whole peppercorns, and dried bay leaves. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork is tender.

6. Add the vinegar. Continue to simmer for 12–15 minutes.

7. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.

8. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes: Cooking time doesn't need to scale exactly with batch size — the important thing is to cook the pork until tender; larger quantities may take longer to return to a boil and need extra simmering time. Add the vinegar after the initial simmering period, not at the start, for the intended flavour. Add salt at the end, tasting first, since the soy sauce is already salty.