My lovely wife is from the Philippines, and this old farm boy from southern Illinois had to learn to eat a lot of strange food that I had never dreamed existed.

Some of it I don't even want to think about. :)

But some of it is fit for the Gods themselves.

Filipino cooking doesn't have the props that it should have... here's a recipe that deserves to be on everyone's plate at least once a month - and it's as easy as can be.

The leftovers are just as good, if not better, so make plenty.

The dish is Pork Adobo. The name is Spanish, but that's about all. It's the national dish of the P.I., and like chili, there are hundreds of ways to make it, each one good in it's own way.

Here's our quick and easy way.

Take about two pounds of pork. You want the meat to be in chunks about an inch square or so. "Country ribs" are great at it because they come almost perfectly sized to begin with. Don't use the really good loin meat because it's too dry. You want something with a bit of fat attached to it.

Put the meat in a big enough sauce pan so that it comes up about two thirds of way. We use a five quart pan, I think.

Add equal amounts of cider vinegar and Kikoman soy sauce to cover the meat about two thirds.

Some people lean more towards a little extra vinegar but that is a matter of individual taste.

Drop in a bay leaf or two, a shake of oregano, and a dozen or so peppercorns (or add quite of bit of fresh ground pepper in the last 15 minutes of cooking).

No salt, unless you're using salt free soy sauce.

If you like garlic throw in a couple of whole cloves - or a dozen or so. Our kids fish them out and fight over the last one.

That's it.

Simmer for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pieces should be falling-apart tender by then.

A couple of alternatives is to marinade it in the sauce overnight, briefly grill the pieces on each side, and then return it to the sauce to let it simmer until tender. Or, you can reverse it by simmering it first for an hour and then finishing it on the grill.

Serve with rice, of course. I use the sauce from the pot to sprinkle over my rice. After 31 years I still don't like just plain old white rice staring at me from the plate. :)

Nice simple veggies go great with it.

If you don't like pork but still want to try it, chicken thighs work fantastic. Breasts tend to get a little dry. Beef tongue works, so does squid.

All kidding aside, it is one of the best dishes you'll ever have. If not, I'll refund the full cost of this recipe.