Chicken Inasal: Filipino Grilled Chicken with Annatto Oil
Annatto oil gives these chicken thighs their orange sheen, but the marinade supplies the sharper flavors: cane vinegar, calamansi, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. A cooler area of the grill is just as important as the flame for cooking the bone-in pieces evenly.
Bistek Tagalog: Calamansi Soy Beef with Onions
Onion rings deserve room in bistek Tagalog: their sweetness softens the sharp meeting of citrus and soy. Thin beef slices brown in batches, then finish in that savory sauce, leaving plenty to spoon over rice without burying the onions.
Bicol Express: Spicy Filipino Coconut Pork
Coconut cream gives this Bicol Express its glossy finish, but the pork needs to become tender first. Bagoong seasons the sauce deeply, while long green chiles and Thai chiles let you choose how much heat comes with that richness.
Arroz Caldo: Filipino Ginger Chicken Rice Porridge
Arroz caldo needs rice soft enough to lose its tidy shape. Here, jasmine rice simmers with bone-in chicken, sliced ginger, and garlic into a thick, spoonable porridge, with fried garlic and calamansi bringing crunch and brightness to each bowl.
Pork Sinigang: Filipino Tamarind Soup with Vegetables
Pork sinigang needs time for the meat and very little patience from the greens. Tamarind sharpens the broth, tomatoes round it out, and a staggered addition of daikon, eggplant, beans, and okra keeps the vegetables recognizable in the bowl.
Pancit Bihon: Filipino Rice Noodles for Birthdays and Weeknights
Thin bihon noodles take up the chicken broth as they cook, carrying garlic and soy sauce through the whole pan. Carrots, cabbage, and green beans keep this pancit lively, with citrus at the table to sharpen each serving.
Chicken Adobo: Filipino Soy-Vinegar Chicken for Everyday Rice Bowls
Ten cloves of garlic give this chicken adobo a generous savory backbone, while equal measures of soy sauce and vinegar keep the sauce sharp and salty. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks turn tender in the braise, ready for a plate of steamed rice.