Crispy Pata - Deep-Fried Pork Leg

I used to watch my mother cook  especially when there is a Special Occasion like New Year's Day.

I was so amazed by how she cooks. Clean and "look simple". I always told myself that "Maybe I can do that too...". And one recipe that astonished me is the Crispy Pata. Crispy Pata is a deep-fried Pork leg. Until such time I was big enough to try it cooking. The result is so devastating. The pork is too hard and tasteless. I was wrong, it's not simple to cook. My greatest mistake is myself. I didn't ask the Chef Master (my mom). I am very assuming. So I called her and she taught me the right method (by phone) for almost 30 minutes and that time I did it. Whew! Communication is important indeed.

During that time ('90s), Crispy Pata are dried by hanging outside for a day prior to deep frying. But now as long as it is drain and put in the freezer for 5 hours or if its already chilled, you can cooked it in the same day.

Ingredients:

1 pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles) cleaned by removing hairs by scraping.
6 cups of water

1 bottle of Sprite

1 sachet of  Magic Sarap or Ginisa Mix
5 tbsp of salt
1 whole garlic
1 tablespoon vetsin

4 cups of oil for deep-frying

 Dipping Sauce:

1 head onion – diced
Any hot pepper – sliced
1/4 cup tuba vinegar or just plain vinegar

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large casserole, combine water, salt, vetsin, garlic, Magic Sarap or Ginisa Mix and Sprite.
2. Add the pork knuckles
3. Cover and bring to a boil
4. Simmer for 1.5 hours until the pork is tender but not too tender.
5. Drain pata when done. Let the juice settle. Dry with paper towel and spread patis using spoon into the pata when it is dry.
6. Cover it with a thin foil and set aside in the freezer for 5 hours or when it's already hard.

7. Heat the oil
8. Deep-fry pork (get ready with the cover, the oil will splatter) until golden brown and crispy (blisters appear or the oil will be less splattering ).
9. Drain excess oil. Dry with paper towels.
10. Combine all sauce ingredients
11. Serve with the sauce.

Tips: Pata is best when using young pig. The older the tougher to cooked.