Filipino Braised Pork Adobo

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs pork, cut in large hunks (pork belly, shoulder, etc)
1 head garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns, or cracked if preferred -OR-
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
6 bay leaves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar, up to 1/4 cup as desired
salt
pepper
light sesame oil -OR- peanut oil, to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to dutch oven or other large pot (except oil). Start with 1 Tbsp brown sugar.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 1-2 hours or until the meat is fork tender, without stirring.
3. Remove meat and brown in oil or on a grill.
4. Meanwhile, boil the sauce to thicken, adding more brown sugar until as sweet as you'd like. The sauce should reduce until thick and syrupy.
5. When done reducing (about 30 minutes), return meat to the pot and serve over rice.

Notes: Nearly 15 years ago I had a roommate that had been a missionary in the Philippines. He made adobo for me a few times. Lately I've been in the mood to have it again so we've tried a couple of adobo recipes. This one is better than the first we tried (Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo), though still nothing at all like what my roommate made. When I took my first bite of this I was a little surprised at all the different flavors. Some advice for the ignorant, though: whole peppercorns can be pretty strong so you probably don't want a mouthful.

Source: Global Table Adventure