December 4, 2025 | 4:05pm
MANILA, Philippines — Two different food concepts combined. That is what Chef Sonny Mariano did when he developed and featured U.S. Chicken Pastil Cuapao for the cooking demonstration he conducted for the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) at the recently concluded World Food Expo 2025 (WOFEX 2025).
Cuapao is a Chinese delicacy. It refers to steamed buns, much like the siopao bun but without filling. The cuapao is sliced in half like a pandesal or burger bun and filled with a slice of pork belly cooked adobo-style and combined with fermented mustard greens and chopped peanuts. It is eaten like a sandwich.
Chicken Pastil, for its part, is a Muslim delicacy of shredded chicken that has been cooked like adobo and topped on rice, wrapped in banana leaves, and sold as a reasonably priced meal.
Since Chicken Pastil is much like a meatier version of Adobo Flakes, Chef Sonny decided to make it a filling for cuapao which, like regular baked bread, goes well with just about any savory meat filling.
Here is his delicious food combination, plus the recipe:
U.S. Chicken Pastil Cuapao
Ingredients:
1 kg. U.S. Chicken Leg Quarter, boneless
55 grams soy sauce
55 grams oyster sauce
55 grams white vinegar
5 grams white sugar
180 grams chicken stock
60 grams red onion, chopped
20 grams garlic, chopped
150 grams chicken oil
1 gram black pepper, ground
Store-bought cuapao buns
Procedure:
1. Over medium heat, boil U.S. chicken into adobo with the first five ingredients (soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chicken stock).
2. Remove chicken, let cool, and shred finely by hand. Slice skin finely as well. Set aside.
3. Keep the adobo liquid.
4. In a frying pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup oil and stir-fry onion.
5. Add garlic and stir-fry until aromatic but not browned.
6. Add shredded U.S. chicken and stir-fry until it starts to brown.
7. Pour in adobo liquid and more oil.
8. Continue stir-frying until the liquid is dry and the pastil is slightly oily.
9. Serve with rice or in a cuapao bun.
RELATED: Recipe: Bicol’s Toasted Siopao
