I looove leftovers. I adore them. There's nothing like enjoying a tasty meal without spending hours in the kitchen. That's why I always cook extra, so they can live in my fridge – ready for a hunger emergency.
This is the first installment of my #LeftoverLover series where we shine the light on the humble leftovers and see how we can repurpose them into something better.
If you have adobo (pork,chicken, or both) within the depths of your fridge, this is the perfect time to turn it into AdoBao or adobo buns with homemade pickled onions, cucumbers, and crushed peanuts.
Prep Time: 30 minutes (mostly for quick pickling)
Cook Time: 10 minutes (just the mantou/buns)
Serves X (depends on how much adobo you have left)
INGREDIENTS
Leftover Adobo of any kind
Cucumbers, half-moons, sliced thinly
Peanuts, crushed
Mantou/Buns
Chili flakes or togarashi, optional
Cilantro, optional
For the Pickled Onions:
1 large red onion, sliced
1/2 cup Vinegar (preferably cider)
1/2 tsp Whole black peppercorns
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
PROCEDURE
Reheat your leftover adobo and steam your mantou/buns. You can do this on top of each other for efficiency. In anticipation of the pickled onions, I added some sugar and salt (or soy sauce) to the adobo as it warms up.
While your adobo is reheating, make the pickled onions by mixing all the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes or until the onions are soft and bright pink. Try to slice the onions thinner so it pickles faster. Also, please take note that this is just a quick pickling solution made by a lazy person. Here's a more legit pickling method from BBC Good Food.
Once adobo is hot, shred the meat using two forks (or whatever you're comfortable with). Set aside and let the shredded meat soak up the adobo sauce.
While the onions are pickling and the buns are steaming and the meat is soaking, slice your cucumbers (I used a mandoline for really thin slices; you can also pickle these if you prefer), crush your peanuts, and wash the cilantro.
Then it's just a matter of putting everything together. Highly recommending a sprinkle of togarashi over the shredded adobo meat for a little kick. You can also spoon over some adobo sauce it you like it saucier (I know you do).
Enjoy!