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Peruvian

Peruvian Spiced Pork Adobo

Arequipa-style pork adobo simmered with ají panca, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and onions.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Peruvian Spiced Pork Adobo

1 hr 35 mintotal

35 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Practical stovetop version with a short marinade and slow simmer.

Method

  1. Mix ají panca paste, vinegar, garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, 0.5 tsp salt, and ground black pepper.

  2. Coat the pork shoulder with the marinade and rest for 20 minutes.

    20 min

  3. Heat neutral oil in a heavy pot and brown the pork pieces on all sides.

  4. Add the sliced onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until it begins to soften.

    4–5 min

  5. Pour in chicken stock, scraping the base of the pot to release the browned bits.

  6. Cover and simmer on low heat for 55–60 minutes until the pork is tender and the sauce is deep red.

    55 min–1 hr

  7. Adjust salt if needed and serve hot with bread to soak up the sauce.

How to tell it's done

The pork should be tender, the onions soft, and the sauce thick, glossy, and deep red.

Getting it right

Tip

Let the onions cook down into the sauce; they give adobo arequipeño its sweet depth.

What to serve it with

Serve with crusty bread or plain rice and a sharp onion salad.

Common mistakes

The sauce is thin and pale.
Brown the pork properly first and scrape every bit of fond off the base when the stock goes in. That browning is where the colour and depth of a Peruvian adobo come from — the paste alone will not do it.
The pork is tough after an hour.
Keep it at a bare simmer, covered. Pork shoulder at a rolling boil tightens and stays that way; low and slow is the only route to tender.

Substitutions

  • Pork Shoulder — Use another slow-cooking pork cut if pork shoulder is unavailable.
  • Ají Panca Paste — Use a mild red chili paste if ají panca paste is unavailable, but the flavor will be less traditional.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and is better the next day once the vinegar mellows. Freezes for three months. Reheat gently with a splash of stock, since the sauce thickens considerably when cold.