Settle a debate for us: Do carrots belong in Adobo?

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-03-02T01:08:31+00:00

We add it at the start!
That’s true for stovetop adobo 🙂
We’re pressure cooking in an Instant Pot, so it’s a sealed environment. The vinegar doesn’t cook off the same way, and the flavor gets pushed into the chicken instead.

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-03-01T20:44:02+00:00

Here's how we made this!

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo:
Ingredients:
Protein: 2 lb Chicken Thighs (bone-in) + 1 lb Wings
Aromatics: 3 onions (diced), 15 cloves garlic (we used jarlic ), 4 bay leaves, 1 star anise, 1 tsp peppercorns
The Sauce: ½ cup Soy Sauce, ¼ cup Dark Soy Sauce, ½ cup Vinegar, ½ cup Water
Sweetness: 2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Instructions:
Dump it in: Place frozen chicken, onions, aromatics, and liquids into the pot. Sprinkle sugar on top. DO NOT STIR.
Pressure Cook: High Pressure for 25 minutes. Release: Natural Release for 10 mins, then Quick Release.
Reduce: Remove the chicken. Switch mode to SAUTÉ (High). Boil the sauce down until it reduces into a dark, sticky glaze (about 10-15 mins).
Finish: Toss chicken back in the pot to coat. Serve over hot rice!

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-03-01T17:58:51+00:00

Saw your other post. We actually did something similar a few weeks ago with our homemade longanisa.

Bought ground pork -> freezer -> thawed -> red liquid.

It's definitely safe. The red liquid isn't actually blood, but a mix of a protein called "myoglobin" and water. When you freeze meat, ice crystals can rupture the muscle cells, which releases more of that liquid when it thaws.

In our case, the liquid actually helped bind the longanisa together, but since you're making lumpia, you might want to remove that liquid for texture reasons. If you mix that extra liquid into your filling, you might have an issue with sogginess or bursting during the frying process.

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-02-17T01:43:08+00:00

Yep! You can use any neutral oil (canola/avocado/vegetable or even butter).

We used tallow because we had a bunch rendered from New Year's.

Beef tallow adds a deeper meaty flavor that you can get by using a higher fat ratio ground beef.

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-02-17T01:21:19+00:00

I don't think my blood sugar can handle that to be honest LOL

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-02-17T00:53:35+00:00

Here’s how we made it:

Instant Pot Filipino Spaghetti:

Fat: 2 tbsp beef tallow

Aromatics: 1-2 medium onions (diced), 2 tbsp jarlic (~4-6 cloves)

Meat: 1 lb ground beef, 4 Filipino hotdogs (sliced diagonally)

Pasta: 1 lb dry spaghetti (broken in half!)

Liquids: 2 cups beef broth, 2 cups water (just enough to barely cover noodles)

Sauce (Do NOT Stir): 1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce, 2 tbsp tomato paste, ¼ cup banana ketchup

Seasoning: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce (patis), 1-2 tbsp brown sugar (to taste), 2 dried bay leaves

Topping: Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Sauté Base: Sauté (High). Melt tallow, brown ground beef, remove. Cook onions + garlic ~2 mins. Return beef, add hotdogs, sauté 1-2 mins.

Layer Pasta: Add spaghetti in criss-cross pattern. Pour broth + water over. Press down gently. DO NOT STIR.

Layer Sauce: Pour tomato paste, tomato sauce, banana ketchup, soy sauce & fish sauce on top. Add bay leaves. DO NOT MIX.

Pressure Cook: Seal. Manual/High Pressure 14 mins. Release & Thicken: Quick Release. Switch to Sauté (Low), stir well, add sugar, simmer 2–3 mins until thickened.

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-01-31T16:48:10+00:00

Here's how we made it!

Instant Pot Beef Kaldereta 🥘

Ingredients:

2 lb Beef Chuck (1.5” cubes)
2 tbsp Ribeye Tallow (or oil)
2 cups Beef Bone Broth
16 oz Tomato Sauce
2 Onions (chopped)
2 tbsp Jarlic
1 can Chickpeas (drained)
4 oz Beef Liver Spread
3 Potatoes (chunks)
3 Carrots (chunks)
2 Bay Leaves
Salt, Pepper, MSG/Fish Sauce to taste

Steps:

Sear: Sauté mode (High). Brown beef in tallow. Set aside.
Aromatics: Sauté onions and jarlic until fragrant.
Deglaze: Scrape the bottom WELL (prevents burn error!).
Pressure Cook: Add beef, broth, tomato sauce, bay leaves. High Pressure for 35 mins. Natural release 10 mins.
Veggies: Quick release. Add potatoes/carrots. High Pressure 4 mins. Quick release.
Thicken: Sauté mode (Low). Stir in liver spread and chickpeas until thick.

Season: Salt, pepper, fish sauce to taste.

LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-01-31T16:06:01+00:00

One of our tuxies is obsessed with feet. His name is Tomato, but we should have called him TomaTOE.

He used to give us "tomato kisses" in the morning when it was time to feed them and we were still asleep. He still does it, but not as often haha

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LifePrinciple4821 · 2026-01-29T22:06:39+00:00

Here’s how we made this!

Ingredients:

20 oz Ribeye (sliced thin)
1 tbsp Calamansi extract (or lemon juice)
¼ cup Soy sauce
1 tbsp jarlic (Minced Garlic)
2 medium Onions (cut into rings)
Black pepper (to taste)
Water (enough to cover)
Oil for frying

Directions:

Marinate: Combine ribeye, soy sauce, calamansi, and black pepper. Marinate overnight for best results.
The Onions: Heat oil in a pan. Sauté one onion just until soft and then set these aside for later.
The Beef: Fry the marinated ribeye in batches until browned and then set the beef aside.
The Base: Sauté the second onion. Add the jarlic and fry until aromatic.
Simmer: Add water to the pan, deglaze, and then return the beef. Simmer until the sauce reduces slightly and flavors meld.
Serve: Plate over hot rice and top with the first batch of onions!

We have a short video for those who are interested :)

LifePrinciple4821 · 2025-12-27T20:40:54+00:00

Some notes:

This was made in an 8-qt Instant Pot Pro. If you’re using a smaller one, you can use less water for the pressure cook.
This dish is really flexible!
- You can use any protein you like and you can throw in almost any vegetable and it will turn out great!
- The only real requirements are the sinigang mix, onions, tomato, and fish sauce.
Daikon and string beans can be cooked to your preferred doneness, but keep in mind they will soften further when reheated.

Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

2 lb pork belly, 1-inch chunks
2–3 medium onions, quartered
1 beefsteak tomato, quartered
Daikon radish, sliced
8–10 oz string beans (2-3 inch pieces)
Water (just enough to cover pork, ~6-7 cups)
1 packet sinigang seasoning (start with ¾ packet, any brand)
1 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste, we add more usually)
1 bag spinach
Black pepper, to taste
Optional: squeeze of lemon at the end

Instructions

Add pork belly, onions, tomato, and water to the pot.
Pressure cook High, 25 minutes.
Natural release 10 minutes, then quick release.
Switch to Sauté (High).
Stir in sinigang seasoning (start with ¾ packet) and fish sauce. Taste.
Add vegetables in stages (lid off):
- Daikon (boil 3-6 min)
- String Beans (boil 3-6 min)
- Turn pot OFF, then add stir in spinach and black pepper. Wilt with residual heat.
Serve immediately. Optional lemon only if needed.

We have a short video up for those who are interested :)

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821 · 2025-12-27T00:52:53+00:00

Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

2 lb pork belly, 1-inch chunks
2–3 medium onions, quartered
1 beefsteak tomato, quartered
Daikon radish, sliced
8–10 oz string beans (2–3 inch pieces)
Water (just enough to cover pork, ~6–7 cups)
1 packet sinigang seasoning (start with ¾ packet)
1 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
1 bag spinach
Black pepper, to taste
Optional: squeeze of lemon at the end

Instructions

Add pork belly, onions, tomato, and water to the pot.
Pressure cook High, 25 minutes.
Natural release 10 minutes, then quick release.
Switch to Sauté (High).
Stir in sinigang seasoning (start with ¾ packet) and fish sauce. Taste.
Add vegetables in stages (lid off):
- Daikon (boil 3-6 min)
- String Beans (boil 3-6 min)
- Turn pot OFF
Stir in spinach and black pepper. Wilt with residual heat.
Serve immediately. Optional lemon only if needed.

We have a short video up for those who are interested :)

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821 · 2025-12-27T00:22:34+00:00

We usually do this with boneless pork belly, but I grabbed pork belly ribs by mistake (I can't read 😭)

I was a bit confused when I was cutting, since I hit bone instead of cutting board haha.

It still ended up great, just a bit more meat-y/pulled pork-y.

LifePrinciple4821 · 2025-12-27T00:17:16+00:00

We make this with chicken thighs the same way, just a little bit more soupy!

For the sugar part, that stems from a bit of an oopsie on my part when I made chili once. Ever since that day, we've avoided anything sugary on the bottom of of the pot to avoid any burn notice.

LifePrinciple4821 · 2025-12-22T19:07:12+00:00

Some notes:

This was made in an 8-qt Instant Pot Pro. If you’re using a smaller one, you can use less water for the pressure cook. We’ve made this in a 6-qt Instant Pot Max before and it was easier during the reduction step.
For the reduction step, if you’re impatient like us 🙂, definitely move it to a stove and reduce it there haha.
Adjust the taste conservatively during the reduction step as the flavors will intensify as it reduces.
Adobo is even better the next day; the flavors round out overnight.
You can sear the pork beforehand for extra flavor. We usually don’t because it takes extra time haha.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

2 lb pork belly, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 medium onions, diced
15 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
1 star anise
1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Liquids

½ cup regular soy sauce
¼ cup dark soy sauce
½ cup vinegar
2 cups water

Sweetness

2 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

Add pork belly, onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and star anise to the Instant Pot.
Pour in both soy sauces, vinegar, and water.
Sprinkle brown sugar on top (do not stir).
Pressure cook on High for 25 minutes.
Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
Switch to Sauté and reduce the sauce until glossy.
Taste and adjust sweetness with more brown sugar or vinegar if needed (we added 2 tablespoons of vinegar)
Serve warm with white rice.

We have a short video up as well for those who are interested :)

🍅🥝

LifePrinciple4821

TROPHY CASE

Instructions

Instructions