I was actually looking up a different recipe when I stumbled onto the recipe for adobo chicken. This tangy dish originated in the Philippines. Though "adobo" is a Spanish word, the recipe for this chicken existed before the Spaniards conquered the Philippines. Of course, the conquerers get to be in charge of naming stuff however they wish, so now it's "adobo" chicken. Right now, I'm trying to imagine what life would be like if the Spaniards conquered the US and decided that pizza should be known as something like "queso derretido" or something.
As far as I know, I've never had adobo chicken before. Rather than just trusting one recipe, I read a few recipes and numerous reviews. The vigor and strong opinion of the reviewers was mildly overwhelming. They debated the ingredients like it was the most controversial issue around. If you are Filipino or have a Filipino husband or cousin or coworker or sister's babysitter, then please don't blow up on me for not making this the way your mother/husband/cousin/coworker/sister's babysitter makes it. That said, I am open to suggestions since I obviously would rather eat tasty tasty food than just tasty food.
First of all, consider the vinegar. Some people insisted that red wine vinegar had to be used, others said that apple cider vinegar was best, others countered that apple cider vinegars ends up tasting weird when cooked, some said that white vinegar is preferable, and others dismissed white vinegar as a last resort. Wow. I ended up using red wine vinegar. Oh, and also some people used almost double the vinegar I used.
Also, the sugar is highly contested. While some people added 2 tablespoons of sugar (which sounds rather sweet to me), others gave a snarky "If you want sugar, go try a teriyaki sauce." I compromised of 1 tablespoon.
Without additional foofaraw, here's how I combined the various recipes and reviews. Who knows if this hybrid is authentic, though I did try to pay most attention to the people who actually were Filipino.
In a bowl, combine:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 c water
2 T garlic powder
1 T ginger powder
1 T peppercorns
1 T brown sugar
2-3 bay leaves
Put 2-3 lbs of chicken (cut into bite size pieces) in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the top, add the lid, and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat. SO EASY!! Eat this with some nice jasmine rice. Noms!