Roast Pork (Crispy Pata)

I’ve been craving for Crispy Pata, so I decided to cook this for dinner tonight.

Crispy Pata is a famous Filipino recipe that uses a whole pig’s leg (or pata). It is made tender for simmering in water along other spices, then deep fried until the texture becomes very crunchy. But instead of frying it, I baked it in the oven until golden-brown and crispy.

I can’t find a pig’s leg, so I just used a picnic pork roast with a bone in it. In the Philippines, this is usually served in a party as a pulutan while drinking beer or alcohol. Many restaurants serve this as a specialty.

Ingredients:

5 lbs picnic roast pork

1 big onion sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp whole pepper corns

2 bay leaves

3-4 tbs salt

1 cup Sprite

Procedure:

1.      Clean the pork well. Cut horizontal slices on both sides.

2.      Put in a pot and cover with water. Add the onions, garlic, and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

3.      Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.

4.      Boil the pork at medium heat until tender about 1-2 hours. Don’t overcook; the meat should not be falling apart. Drain and put in a rack to dry.

5.      Put in a tray and open freeze overnight.

6.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the meat in the tray with racks, and bake for 1 hour, or until golden-brown, and the skin is crunchy.

7.      Serve with soy sauce and lemon dip, or Mang Tomas sauce. 

Note: You can prepare the meat ahead of time and freeze it. Bake it whenever you want to serve it.