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Chef critique

Coconut Pork Shoulder Adobo with Baby Bok Choy

A conceptually excellent and well-written recipe that captures traditional Filipino adobo techniques, though it needs minor adjustments to the rice-water ratio and braising times to guarantee perfect execution.

Score: 8/10

Suggested fixes

  • Reduce the water for the jasmine rice from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup.
  • Increase the initial braising time in step 5 from 45 minutes to 60-75 minutes, or instruct the cook to cut the pork into smaller 3/4-inch to 1-inch cubes to ensure tenderness within the original timeframe.

Issues

  • high / ingredient_usage: The water ratio for the jasmine rice is too high. 3/4 cup dry rice to 1 1/2 cups water is a 1:2 ratio, which will result in mushy rice. Jasmine rice typically requires closer to a 1:1.25 ratio (about 1 cup of water for 3/4 cup rice).
  • medium / timing: 1 1/2-inch cubes of pork shoulder generally require 1.5 to 2 hours of braising to become fully tender. The allocated 60 to 65 minutes total braise time might leave the pork slightly tough.

Strengths

  • Includes a dedicated prep step before heat is applied, keeping the cook organized.
  • Respects traditional adobo technique by instructing the cook to bring the vinegar to a lively simmer without stirring to cook off the raw bite.
  • Efficient use of active time by having the cook prepare the bok choy while the adobo finishes braising.