Crispy Pata or Fried Pork Knuckles
Philippine Cuisine
Ingredients: serve 4
2 pigs front legs(pata unahan) without the trotters, approx. 600g each
8 cups water
2 white onions
150g carrots
100g celery sticks
1tsp whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Preparation:
Peel and quarter the onions
Peel and quarter the carrots
Wash the celery sticks. Discard the roots.
Cooking:
Put the pork leg into a large pot of water. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to simmer maintain a very gentle simmer over the next few minutes and remove as much of the scum that rises to the surface.
Throw the onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt into the pot. Cover partially and simmer gently for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the leg and leave it to drain and cool. (the broth may be strained and cooled).
First Fry to a heated large pot or wok, and the oil, then put in the leg presentation side up. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the leg over carefully, cover again and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. Reserve the oil in the pot or wok.
Cut the leg skin with kitchen scissors. Pierce the skin from the top then cut 1 ½ in square making sure the cut is only about 1/8 in deep.
Second fry heat the oil in the wok again, this time to a higher temperature, around 200C or 400F. then put in the leg, skin side down. Fry, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the skin is crisp and brown. Turn the leg over and dry the opposite side for 1 minute. Remove leg from the pan and palce in a strainer. Allow to cool.
Just before serving:
Third fry for the third and final frying, heat the oil again to 200C or 400F. when the oil is hot, put in the leg, presentation side up. Fry for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and place in a strainer. End.
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