Meet Kathy:
I’m a self-proclaimed foodie, from a small province in the Philippines and moved to the US when I was two years old. I grew up in Chicago and found my love for cooking somewhere around the age of 15 when I took a Home Economics class and learned all the basics. When I moved out on my own, I found myself missing all of my Filipino favorites like Adobo, Sinigang and Kare Kare. I asked my mom, grandma, and aunts to teach me how to make those dishes at home so I could have them anytime I had a craving. I always added my own twist to their recipes to make it exactly how I liked it (e.g., using leaner cuts of meat, adding extra vegetables, making more sauce, adding a little spice).
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Current In: San Mateo, CA
Current Gig: I’m a stay at home mom of 2 sweet kids.
Tell Me Your Cooking Style: I like to take traditional dishes and modernize them by adding my own personal touches.
...I’ve always found cooking to be relaxing and almost therapeutic in a way. I have a busy household with two young kids running round, so making time to cook a delicious, comforting meal for my family really completes my day. I love using local, seasonal ingredients, and I try to shop at the neighborhood farmer’s market weekly. I love to entertain and cook for my friends and family. My favorite part of cooking for people is their reaction after their first bite; it always makes me happy when I know someone is enjoying the food I prepared (always with lots of love).
Who are your inspirations or role models in the culinary industry?
To be honest, I learned how to cook mostly from watching cooking shows on Food Network. Chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence were all of my favorites to watch and they were inspirational to my own cooking and techniques. Even Alton Brown with his superior knowledge of the science behind food and cooking helped me learn things that I never would have (at least before the internet).
What motivates you to make adobo or Filipino food?
Filipino food, adobo in particular, is my comfort food. It’s my go-to when I don’t know what to make for dinner. I love how it brings me back to my childhood and all the family parties and picnics where adobo was always served. I never get sick of it and I love making it in different ways. For example, I make the traditional adobo that’s more like a one pot quick and easy dinner with chicken or pork and hot steamed rice. Or, I make my refined version that’s more like the essence of adobo, but still stays true to the classic flavors. This is the recipe I’m sharing today.
Seared Pork Chops with Adobo Sauce Reduction
Recipe by Katherine de Leon
4 bone-in thick cut pork chops
2 shallots diced
8 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil + 1Tblsp
4 dried bay leaves
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 Tblsp fish sauce
2 tblsp honey
kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
sliced lime wedges and chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions:
Salt the pork chops and let sit for about 5 minutes. Blot the excess moisture with a paper towel, then sprinkle with salt and generous amount of cracked pepper.
Heat EVOO on medium high heat, once pan is hot, add pork chops (be careful, the oil may splatter). Leave them alone for about 5-7 minutes to get a nice golden crust, turn over for 3-5 minutes (depending on how you like them done. I usually make pork chops medium well).
Remove the pork chops from the pan and set aside tented with foil.
Drain the excess oil but don’t remove the brown goodness left at the bottom of the pan. Using the same pan, add 1 Tblsp EVOO and sauté garlic and shallots with salt and pepper until shallots are caramelized (about 10 minutes). Turn up heat to high, add the soy sauce, water and vinegar to deglaze the pan.
Add bay leaves and honey and whisk together. Let sauce reduce to about half and thickens (about 15 minutes).
Taste, then adjust soy sauce, vinegar and honey levels as desired and add fish sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pork chops back to the pan for 1-2 min with the sauce to reheat.
Serve sprinkled with red pepper flakes, topped with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge for garnish.
I like to serve this dish with spicy broccoli and quinoa (instead of rice).
What makes your adobo special?
It’s a modern, healthier take on traditional pork adobo, but still keeps the essence of that adobo I know and remember from my childhood.
Special memory about adobo:
I remember adobo always making an appearance at every family party or picnics at the forest preserve. It’s because the vinegar keeps it from going bad and it still tastes good even when it’s lukewarm. There would be a rice cooker filled to the brim with freshly cooked white rice and we would eat on paper plates that were in bamboo paper plate holders and use our hands or just a plastic spoon to eat. My aunts and uncles would constantly question if we had enough to eat and keep pushing more food on us. Adobo reminds me of family and how food plays a huge role in our all of get-togethers.
Where do you think Filipino food will go in the next few years?
I definitely think it will continue to become more and more popular and accepted just as Japanese and Vietnamese food are today (just think: Sinigang could be the next Ramen or Pho). Filipino food is like a hidden gem, and once people discover it, they will be hooked because it’s delicious! I hope that people continue to get more educated about Filipinos and their culture so they can really appreciate our food and where our food comes from.
What do you hope will happen to the Filipino food culture in the Bay Area?
I hope that the interest in Filipino food continues to grow and more Filipino restaurants and food trucks open up so they can further expand the Filipino food movement.
Aside from adobo, name a Filipino food that everyone should try at least once:
Sizzling Pork Sisig – topped with an egg of course!
If you can share your adobo or any Filipino food with anyone passed on or alive, who would it be?
My late grandmother. I wish I had the chance to make her some of my Filipino favorites because it would really make her happy to see me make the food she used to make for me growing up.
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