Manny Pacquiao fans, here’s 9 Filipino recipes for Saturday

As most of you doubtless know, this weekend is the biggest, most hyped and most expensive fight to happen since, well, ever. On Saturday evening at 6 PDT, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will enter the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas to trade something more athletic than hyperbole. It’s been a long time coming: lots of stalling, lots of training. You’re probably hungry too.

If you’re watching at home, you might want to cook your own food to offset the cost — pay-per-view is around $100. (And because many bars are already booked.) Regardless of which fighter you’re backing, this is an excellent excuse to cook some Filipino food. Because Pacquiao is from the Philippines, a country with a vast, complex and underrated cuisine — while Mayweather is from Grand Rapids, Mich. Yes, yes, Michigan has some great food too, but there’s nothing quite like a great pot of chicken adobo for a party.

To help you out with your festive weekend, we’ve collected not a few Filipino recipes, including one for that chicken adobo, courtesy of chef Andre Guerrero; lumpia, the crispy fried egg rolls; and a recipe from Gary Menes for his mother’s nilaga, or short rib stew.

Or if you’re really ambitious, you can try your hand at lechon, the roasted suckling pig that’s a feature of many traditional Filipino gatherings. It’s a long sports weekend (the Kentucky Derby, both the NBA and NHL playoffs, the NFL draft, etc.), so it might be a good time for that, although you’re on your own for a recipe. (Got one? Send it in and we’ll try it out in the Test Kitchen.)

CHICKEN ADOBO

Total time: 1 hour | Serves 4

Note: Adapted from Andre Guerrero of Oinkster. Guerrero serves this with steamed jasmine rice.

1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken

12 whole cloves garlic

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

4 dried bay leaves

1. Cut the chicken into 10 pieces: breasts, wings, thighs and legs, cutting the breast pieces in half. Place the chicken pieces into a large lidded Dutch oven or casserole. Add the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and bay leaves.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (the meat will be firm, the juices will run clear, and a thermometer inserted will read 165 degrees), about 25 minutes. Turn the chicken halfway through for even cooking.

3. Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the sauce and set aside on a plate. Continue to cook the sauce until it’s reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes.

4. Strain the sauce, then add the chicken back to the sauce and toss to coat completely, before moving to a serving platter.

Each serving: 478 calories; 52 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 25 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 193 mg. cholesterol; 1 gram sugar; 1,940 mg. sodium.

Because taking pictures of food is almost as much fun as eating it, on Instagram @ascattergood.