Adobong Labong- Bamboo Shoots with Pork and Shrimps

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I grew up with Adobong Labong -Bamboo Shoots with Pork and Shrimps served often at dinner. Mom cooked this at least once a week. I remember she used fresh bamboo shoots for this dish. When I go back to the Philippines and to my childhood home in Tarlac, this dish is still prepared by my sister who also learned it from mom. It’s still plated in the same vintage glass Pyrex 8 x 8 container. And the tangy, garlicky flavors instantly bring me back to my childhood.

Adobo is a Filipino cooking method of stewing and braising meats, fish or vegetables in a broth of vinegar, garlic and black pepper. The tart flavors adobo renders to any dish stays on and gets more intense as time goes by. The vinegary taste lingers even days after in leftovers and gets more bold.

This Adobong Labong was no exception. My modern version was easy to cook because I used canned bamboo shoots. Now there are some folks who have issues with bamboo shoots or labong being slippery even after it’s cooked. Therefore it’s best to soak the bamboo shoots in water before cooking.

The garlic aroma coming from the saucepan gripped me when I sautéed the pork and shrimps together in the skillet with the onions, vinegar and soy sauce. As I mixed the light yellow strips of bamboo shoots around the saucepan so that the vinegary-garlic-soy sauce coated the “labong”, then I knew this was a near replica of what mom used to cook for us. I couldn’t wait to put this on our dinner table and pair it with steaming boiled rice. It’s the familiar dishes like this that bring the reassuring comfort to any day, whether it’s a difficult one or one we should be grateful for.

Print Recipe

Adobong Labong - Bamboo Shoots with Pork and Shrimps

Adobong Labong with Pork and Shrimps is the type of vegetable-meat dish that is an everyday meal. My mom cooked this entrée all the time and so I remember distinctly the tart, garlic-vinegar flavors that stood out at the table. The yellow strips of bamboo shoots are simple and nearly bland in flavor at the start, so the addition of garlic, vinegar and soy sauce adds a unique Filipino zest to the entire entrée. To round up the vegetable and meat meal, I add spinach leaves at the end of cooking for even more texture and a hearty dimension. This is an Asian in America recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino. Serves 2 up to 4 if served with rice.

Cook Time24 minutes mins

Total Time24 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Adobo Labong Bamboo Shoots

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

• large skillet or wok

Ingredients

• 1 can (20 oz./565 g.) sliced bamboo shoots , about 2 cups, drained
• 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic peeled, minced
• 1 whole white or yellow onion chopped
• 1/4 pound pork shoulder cubed
• 1/4 pound fresh shrimps peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach stems trimmed, washed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• boiled rice for serving

Instructions

• In a medium-sized bowl filled with water that’s room temperature, soak the bamboo shoot slices for about 30 minutes. This is to remove the slippery feel of the labong. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When oil is hot enough, sauté the onions and garlic. Cook till onions are transparent after 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the pork cubes. Then add the shrimps. Mix ingredients and cook for 8 to 10 minutes till meat turns brown and shrimps are pink.
• Pour the vinegar, soy sauce and broth.
• Take the soaking bamboo shoots and discard the water. Add the bamboo shoots to the skillet and combine with other ingredients. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more till labong softens.
• Add the spinach. Season with salt and black pepper. Combine everything well. The spinach will cook in 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm with rice on the side.
• Hello, Friends! All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos and  recipe content I wrote, on your website,books, films or videos  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe or content on another website, video or news article, please ASK my permission, re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 2814mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 6.5mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more classic recipes inspired by my late mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]