You know those recipes we hold near and dear to our hearts because they really are the greatest of all time? Well, our Greatest Recipe of All Time series is where we wax poetic about them. Today, assistant food editor Amelia Rampe shares her recipe for chicken adobo.

I cannot remember a time when there wasn't adobo in my life. Coming home to the enticing perfume of steaming rice combined with vinegary, garlicky adobo would make my mouth water immediately and I KNEW I would be getting my favorite meal for dinner. Whether it was chicken, pork, or squid adobo, it didn't matter, it was all good. I was a picky eater growing up, so when I was served adobo, it was one of the few times I would not only clean my plate, but go back for extra rice and adobo broth (which, for me, is the best part!). I think it’s probably every Filipino kid’s first food love.

Chicken adobo was a staple at my dinner table, as it is the unofficial official dish of the Philippines. It's also a staple at every Filipino gathering—every family has their own version and every person says theirs is the best, of course. My dad's recipe uses the whole chicken and it's brothier, with equal parts soy and vinegar and with onion instead of garlic. But hey, all of them are right because no matter how you've prepared your adobo, there's really no messing it up. That amazing fusion of soy, vinegar, garlic, and pepper in every version is a winning formula. With this recipe, I was able to take the knowledge that’s been passed down to me from my family and create my own different yet delicious take on the classic, and now it's my kids who crave it for dinner.

I know that Filipino food can be a scary unknown for some people but adobo is a great starting recipe. It’s so easy! You can make this recipe with any meat or vegetable. For my vegan husband, I skip the marinade and add the sauce to broccoli, green beans, carrots, mushroom, lotus root—any heartier vegetable (firm tofu works too) that can hold up to sauce.

For the meat-eaters, here's how I do it:

Toss ¾ cup Silver Swan soy sauce (or any kind, but this was what my family uses—it's made in the Philippines—and it adds a slightly sweeter flavor), 1 cup rice vinegar, 15 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, 3 Thai chiles (more or less depending on your heat sensitivity), 2 tablespoons palm sugar (if you can't find it at the store, sugar in the raw will work), and a 2-inch piece of ginger with 8 chicken drumsticks in a plastic bag and marinate—no bowl or pan washing required. Keep in mind that adobo is always better the next day. I chose to do an overnight marinade so you can have that next-day flavor as soon as it’s cooked. Sear the chicken in a pot (save that awesome marinade!) until the skin starts to caramelize. Then at that point, throw in the marinade and ½ cup water and very gently simmer until the broth is glazed and saucy. The adobo should be cooked covered for around 30 minutes and then uncovered for another 30. That way the liquid doesn't reduce too quickly. To complete the dish, serve the chicken over fluffy white rice. Dollop with as much sauce as you like (the more, the merrier), and top with thinly slice scallions. Once you take a bite, you'll quickly realize that whatever version of adobo you come up with will soon become your "greatest recipe of all time" too.