Adobong Kangkong (Water Spinach Adobo)

Posted on April 24, 2012 | by Ray

I am no expert when it comes to gardening but one thing I know about water spinach AKA kangkong — It grows wild and it thrives on the presence of water and lots of it. You know how I figured that out? Because the name says “water spinach.” Gosh, I’m such a genius! I’m brilliant! Okay I’m just kidding about the brilliant part. =P

Seriously, Filipino adobo is not necessarily an all-meat dish. It can be cooked with kangkong and also with long beans. Are we adding vegetables so we can make the dish healthful? Honestly it depends. Growing up, this same dish would be cooked with just very little amount of fatty meat just to flavor the vegetables. Back there and back then, we didn’t have the abundance of what we considered luxury ingredients like meat unlike how we are here in the West.

I chose to use pork belly because of the flavor that it adds to the dish but you may use a leaner part like pork picnic and also pork butts.

Adobong Kangkong (Water Spinach Adobo)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb pre-slicedpork belly
1 bunch kangkong (water spinach)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup palm vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely-minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Cut sliced pork belly by 1 inch cube.
Cut kangkong to about 2 inches long from the leaves end, discard the bottom part of the stem.
Wash and place in a strainer to drain.
Place wok in high heat.
Add the pork belly, soy sauce, vinegar, water, pepper, and garlic.
Let it boil then turn heat to medium-low.
Stir occasionally to distribute the sauce.
Cover and continue cooking until pork is tender when pierced by fork.
Transfer sauce to a bowl but leave the pork belly in the wok.
Keep stirring until oil start coming out of the pork belly and the meat starts to brown.
Add the kangkong and saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the sauce back to the wok.
Let the sauce boil and keep stirring and turning for about 2 minutes.
Serve with hot steamed rice.
ENJOY!

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39 Comments → “Adobong Kangkong (Water Spinach Adobo)”

The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time

1 year ago

This meal is amazing. I am so jealous that you (in your brilliance) are able to find this water spinach all over. I wish we had something like that around here. The meal looks absolutely delicious, Ray.
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time recently posted..Penne with Pancetta, Sage and Mushrooms from Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2012

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Yes, I was able to find it but the price was arm and a leg. Thank you, Christiane!
  
  Reply
bamskitchen

1 year ago

You always have me sold with your combination of sweet, salty and sour combo which is so much part of a tasty cuisine. Good news for me. I have just found out there is a market in Wanchai with many Philippine cooking ingredients so I am good to go to try more of your recipes.
bamskitchen recently posted..Spring Time Brunch with International Cooking Club of Hong Kong

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Oh that’s good and I can’t wait to get your feedback, Bam! Thank you!
  
  Reply
kitchenriffs

1 year ago

Good recipe! And I didn’t know that veggies could play a prominent role in adobo recipes. But, as you explained, it makes sense given that at one time meat was a luxury for many people. Really good post – thanks.

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  And for many countries, meat is still a luxury. Thank you for visiting.
  
  Reply
Angie@Angie's Recipes

1 year ago

A gardener I am not either, but I love water spinach to death! This looks really super!
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Asparagus Baton Bread with Sesame Seeds

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thankyou, Angie!
  
  Reply
Juliana

1 year ago

Ray, this water spinach must taste sooo… good cooked in the pork adobo. I think I will need more than one bowl of rice to go with it.
Awesome pictures as always. Hope you are having a great week

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Oh, this is really good with rice and more of it. Thank you, Juliana and you have a great week too!
  
  Reply
Reese@SeasonwithSpice

1 year ago

Hey Ray – I just made some kangkong as well! I usually cook it in Malaysian & Thai styles of course. You’ve just introduced another way to enjoy them. I missed those green leaves so much when I was living outside of Malaysia. Now that I am back, I do indulge in kangkong quite a bit.

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Kangkong is one of my favorite, Reese. Thank you for your comment.
  
  Reply
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen

1 year ago

WOW! This is a great idea! The pork belly on the “kangkong” ? Yummy! I have all these ingredients here. Must make this for dinner tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Chef Ray! Do I have your permission to add “bagoong” to this dish? Super-yummy !

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  You can add bagoong if you’d like, Elizabeth and I’m sure it’s going to be even better.
  
  Reply
Jeannie

1 year ago

We usually cook kangkong in a spicy blend of dried shrimp chilli paste which is delicious! Glad to know you can cook it this way for a non spicy dish! Lovely!
Jeannie recently posted..pumpkin mantao & a savory stir fry

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mjskit

1 year ago

The kangkong looks like a really tender and tasty spinach, but I doubt I’d be able to find it in the desert. Love the combination of pork belly and spinach. The more I see of Filipino adobo, the more I like it! Great dish!

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you, MJ. If you ever get a hold of one, just stick the bottm part of the stem in a pot of soil and water them a lot. You can grow your own, MJ. Here is the example of how to grow your own kangkong.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEoDIm8Nm8
  
  Reply
Nami | Just One Cookbook

1 year ago

Filipino dish always looks so delicious! I can’t live without meat, but honestly I only need a little bit (besides BBQ ribs – that I can eat the whole slab! Haha). This adobo looks so good! And is that a special frying pan? The handle looks different and I like that you seemed to use it a lot. I can eat this for breakfast. =)

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Haha! It’s my old and beat-up and tired wok, Nami. It’s so old, I am sometimes ashame to show it that’s why it’s always hiding in the dark. Haha! Thank you for dropping by, Nami!
  
  Reply
Sissi

1 year ago

Another fantastic dish and a huge discovery! I am pretty sure I keep on seeing this plant in my Asian grocery shop, but have never tried cooking it. Now I know how to handle it. Thank you for the lesson.
This is the first time I hear about palm vinegar, so I feel much wiser after reading your post today
I don’t have to mention the pork because I think I have already told you how much I love pork.
I have just read your wok conversation and you know your wok reminds me of two old-fashioned steel, heavy frying pans I bought last year and simply love! They get darker with every use, I have to grease them before storing and they don’t have any coating, so they should last forever… I have been planning recently to buy a wok from the same producer.
Sissi recently posted..Cucumber and Wakame Sunomono (Cucumber and Seaweed Salad)

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Palm vinegar is milder therefore the sourness is not over powering the dish. I don’t think I will be retiring this old wok anytime soon. Even though I already replace it with a newer and bigger one. Thank you, Sissi!
  
  Reply
Jen at The Three Little Piglets

1 year ago

I’m always interested in finding new ingredients and water spinach definitely ranks up there! But adding a little pork belly you simply can’t go wrong!

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you, Jen. Hope all is well.
  
  Reply
Margarita @ Pinoy Kitchenette

1 year ago

One of my fave too! Anything basta lutong kangkong Hey hey! I saw that kawali you have for whatever reason i love to use that kind of wok too, my tastebuds says the dish is more malasa whenever I use that kind of wok…
Margarita @ Pinoy Kitchenette recently posted..Tofu Kare-Kare (Kare-Kareng Gulay at Tokwa)

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  And you know what Marge for some reason, the flavor gets better the older the wok gets. Thank you for dropping by, Marge.
  
  Reply
Liz

1 year ago

Gorgeous plating, Ray, of a delicious dish!!!!

Reply
- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you, Liz!
  
  Reply
Grubarazzi (@Grubarazzi)

1 year ago

This is SO gorgeous. I mean, pork belly….come on! You had me at pork belly.
Grubarazzi (@Grubarazzi) recently posted..Vegan Fennel and Mint Soup

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you!
  
  Reply
Row

1 year ago

This is a very healthy twist to one of my favourite Filipino dishes. I will check to see if the local Asian store has kangkong in stock. For some reason, it’s hard to find pork belly around here, so pork butt will have to do. Thanks for the recipe!
Row recently posted..All in a day’s eating

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you, Row and have fun cooking!
  
  Reply
Raymund

1 year ago

I never imagine that an adobong kangkong can be beautiful in a photo, well you made it into reality.
Raymund recently posted..Lean Pork and Century Egg Congee

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you for the kind words, Raymund!
  
  Reply
PolaM

1 year ago

Looks more than delicious! I have to get my hands on some pork belly!
PolaM recently posted..World on a plate: ricotta and spinach quiche

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- Ray
  
  1 year ago
  
  Thank you, Pola! Good to see you dropping by.
  
  Reply
Cristina

1 year ago

It’s only breakfast time right now and I am tasting this pork adobo and water spinach, Ray! I don’t think I’ve seen water spinach in the markets…I will have to ask my Mom if she’s ever had it. Beautiful and delicious dish.

Now I’m going to have this pork adobo on my mind until I make it! Thanks Ray…have a lovely week, my friend.
Cristina recently posted..Nature’s Gifts: Meyer Lemons

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Magic of Spice

1 year ago

I love water spinach and can get it at a few of my local farmers’ markets. Beautiful dish…my family would just love the pork belly
Magic of Spice recently posted..Food Tip~Taming the Artichoke

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Kim Bee

1 year ago

I’ve never tried water spinach. I am intrigued by it now. I have serious doubt I can find it here though. Love the way you’ve combined it with the pork. I’ve not seen palm vinegar before either. Apparently I need to move. Meals like this would be totally worth it.
Kim Bee recently posted..Burning Down The Kitchen with Epicurean Mom while making Chocolate Truffles

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Biren @ Roti n Rice

10 months ago

I just read Ang Sarap’s post on this dish. It does look very tasty. Would love to try it.
Biren @ Roti n Rice recently posted..Pandan Coconut Candy

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