PINASarap: CRISPY PATA

Crispy Pata is one of the famous dish served in many popular restaurant in the Philippines and in other parts of the world where there is Filipino restaurant.

Crispy Pata dish is deep fried pork legs ( Pata means Pork Feet in spanish ), a very delicious meal and although it is very high in cholesterol but with the crispy skin and soft meat plus the dipping sauce ( soy sauce, combined with vinegar and diced garlic ) makes it irresistible and keeps customers coming back for more.

Crispy Pata Ingredients:

• 1 whole Pata (pig’s leg) about 2 kilos, cleaned and knuckles removed
• 1 Can Sprite or 7UP (or 12 oz size)
• 7 pieces dried bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorn
• 5  pcs star anise (optional)
• 6 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 whole Garlic
• 10 to 12 cups water
• 12 cups cooking oil

Crispy Pata Cooking Instructions:

• Pour water and sprite or 7up in a cooking pot then let boil.
• Put-in dried bay leaves, whole peppercorn, star anise, and 4 teaspoons of salt.
• Add the whole pata in the cooking pot then simmer until the leg becomes tender (about 1 hour).
• Remove the tender leg from the cooking pot and set aside until the temperature goes down.
• Rub the leg with garlic, ground black pepper, and remaining salt. Let stand for 15 minutes to absorb the rub.
• Heat a frying pan (must be with cover) and pour-in cooking oil.
• When the oil becomes hot, deep fry the pork leg.
• When placing pata in heated oil get your cover ready there will be a lot of hot oil splashing. Set your stove from high heat to medium when you have placed the pata in the frying pan, then set to low heat when pata starts to turn to golden brown in color.
• Continue cooking in medium heat until one side becomes crispy, and then cautiously flip the leg to crisp the other side.
• Turn-off the heat then remove the crispy pork leg  and transfer it to a wide serving plate.
• Serve with atcharang papaya and dipping sauce ( soy sauce, diced garlic and vinegar plus siling labuyo if you want a spicy sauce).

Crispy Pata Frying Tips: Deep frying a whole leg can cause the hot oil to be uncontrollable. It is a must to slightly cover the cooking pot while frying but not fully as the cover may pop-up due to pressure. Some Crispy Pata Recipe technique require the leg to be frozen then deep-fried immediately, PinoyRecipe.net do not recommend that. The technique can be effective, but it is very risky. It is better to fry the leg in medium heat until it becomes crispy.