Adobong Sitaw is a twist to the beloved Filipino adobo, with yardlong beans in a savory and tangy sauce that's sure to please your taste buds. This vegetable dish is a simple yet hearty meal, ready in 30 minutes!
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What is Adobong Sitaw?
Adobong Sitaw, also known as string beans adobo, can be enjoyed either as a main or side dish. This dish follows a straightforward adobong sitaw recipe, where the beans are prepared using traditional Filipino adobo cooking methods.
You toss the long beans in a mix of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaves, which gives them a wonderfully tangy and slightly sweet taste. This dish is a tasty twist on the classic pork or chicken adobo, and it’s super easy to whip up.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Sitaw: Also known as Filipino long bean or yardlong beans, this legume has long, slender pods with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. You can use green beans or string beans, which share a similar texture.
- Pork: I have used pork belly for a meaty taste, but feel free to use another protein (shrimp, tofu, chicken, or ground meats). You can also make it vegetarian or vegan and leave out the meat.
- Vinegar: While coconut or cane vinegar are common choices, you can also use distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare the sauce
In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ cup of water. Mix and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the sitaw
Trim off the ends and cut the sitaw into 2-inch sections. Give them a quick rinse to wash away any dirt or debris.
Step 3: Blanch the sitaw
Boil a pot of water and toss in a pinch of baking soda if you have it—it helps keep the sitaw nice and green. Blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes until they’re tender yet still crisp.
Then, scoop them out and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Drain well.
Step 4: Brown the pork
In a wok or large skillet, heat it up to medium-high and add the sliced pork belly along with ½ cup of water. Let it boil until the water has evaporated, then turn the heat down to medium for even cooking.
Keep cooking the pork in its own fat until it turns brown and crispy. Once it’s done, just push the pork to one side of the pan.
Step 5: Sauté aromatics
Over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onions until they're nice and soft.
Step 6: Add sitaw and chili peppers
Toss in the blanched sitaw and chili peppers, if you're using them. Stir fry everything for just 1-2 minutes, until the sitaw is warmed up.
Step 7: Add the sauce
Pour in the adobo sauce and toss everything together, cooking until the sauce slightly thickens. Season with pepper to taste, then turn off the heat. Now it's ready to scoop into a serving bowl.
Garnish with fried garlic or shallots, as desired. Serve and enjoy your Adobong Sitaw with steamed white rice or Sinangag for a complete meal.
Recipe FAQs
Adobong Sitaw is a Filipino dish where yardlong beans are cooked in a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, often with the addition of pork for extra flavor.
Absolutely! You can skip the pork and use tofu as a protein alternative instead.
To keep your beans bright green and crisp, quickly blanch them in boiling water with a pinch of baking soda. Then, cool them immediately in ice water to stop the cooking process. This keeps them snappy and vibrant.
Filipino dishes with sitaw
- Ginataang Kalabasa: Squash and yardlong beans simmered in coconut milk with aromatics.
- Pinakbet: Braised vegetables with okra, eggplant, bitter melon, squash, and yardlong beans, sautéed with shrimp paste and a variety of proteins.
- Sinigang: A sour soup made with pork, shrimp, or fish, flavored with a souring agent like tamarind or calamansi.
- Bicol Express: A spicy pork stew with bite-size pieces of pork simmered in coconut milk, shrimp paste, and chilies.
- Ginisang Sitaw: Sautéed yardlong beans with aromatics.
Other vegetable recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Adobong Sitaw
Equipment
- Saucepan for blanching
- Wok or large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound sitaw (yardlong beans) cut into 2-inch sections; see note
- 8 ounces pork belly or shoulder thinly sliced; see note
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vinegar see note
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1-2 chili peppers sliced; optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Neutral oil
- Fried garlic or shallots optional garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and ¼ cup water. Whisk together and set aside.
- Trim off the ends and cut the sitaw into 2-inch sections. Rinse them to remove any dirt or debris.
- Blanch the beans in boiling water with baking soda (if available) for 2-3 minutes until tender but crisp. Transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain well.
- Over medium-high heat, add the sliced pork belly and ½ cup of water. Boil until the water evaporates, then lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking the pork in its own fat until browned and crispy. Then, push the pork to one side of the pan.
- Sauté garlic and onions until softened.
- Add the sitaw and chili peppers, if using. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, just until the sitaw is heated through.
- Pour the adobo sauce and toss everything together, cooking until the sauce slightly thickens. Season with black pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
- Garnish with fried garlic or shallots, as desired.
Notes
- Sitaw: Also known as yardlong beans, this legume has long, slender pods with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Substitute with green beans or string beans for a similar texture.
- Pork: I have used pork belly, but feel free to use another protein (shrimp, tofu, chicken, or ground meats). You can also make it vegetarian and leave out the meat.
- Vinegar: While coconut or cane vinegar are common choices, you can also use distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Jean
Yum!!
Nora Reyes
Thank you, Jean!