PAKSIW NA PATA

Paksiw is a culinary term in Filipino which refers to cooking in vinegar. When cooking paksiw fish and seafood, a sour base is used. The souring agent is usually vinegar or kamias, others use unripe mango. When cooking meat, paksiw means braising the meat in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. With paksiw na pata (pork leg with knuckles), a few sprigs of dried oregano and handful of bulaklak ng saging is added for flavor. What is known in the west as banana blossoms is called puso ng saging (banana heart) locally. Pork pata may be the front or hind leg. The front is preferred since it is meatier.

Paksiw na pata, is my mom’s favorite dish. Her “diet” is put aside when this heavenly and divine dish is served on the table. She pushes the spoon and fork away and digs in her bare hands when eating this. She finishes each slice up to the last bite…

Ingredients:

Ø  1 pork pata, chopped into 1″ slices

Ø  3/4 cup of strong native vinegar

Ø  3/4 cup of dark soy sauce

Ø  3/4 cup or more of tightly-packed brown sugar

Ø  1 whole garlic, pierced with a sharp pointed knife in several sections

Ø  2 whole onions, peeled

Ø  1 bay leaf

Ø  5-6 peppercorns

Ø  a handful of bulaklak ng saging

Ø  a few sprigs of dried oregano

Procedure:

Wash the pork pata well and place in a casserole. Pour in just enough water to cover the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Slow cook for 1^1/2 to 2 hours or until very tender. The meat should literally fall off from the bones. Check the liquid once in a while; add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. of water if the mixture gets too dry during cooking.

paksiw na pata