PATA TIM

PATA TIM or PAKSIW NA PATA-It is a kind of Filipino

 dish made by braising ham hocks in a vinegar, soy

 sauce, pineapple juice and sugar mixture until they���re

 tender and the sauce is gelatinous and thick.

Patatim is a Filipino-Chinese dish which is made

 out of slowly braised pork leg cooked similar to

 Paksiw but without the vinegar. This dish is very

 popular in Authentic Chinese food establishments

 in the Philippines such as the restaurants and

 even hawker stalls in Binondo. Traditionally it

 is cooked with dried shitake mushrooms and served

 over blanched vegetables such as broccoli or

 bok choy, but the non-Filipino-Chinese version

uses banana blossoms and cardaba bananas instead.

I had seen this dish across South East Asia, I

 don���t know the local names of each but they were

 cooked similarly and just differ in the accompanying

 ingredients and thickness of soup / sauce. A very

good dish that can be paired with rice or Chinese

 curlers, it has a very flavourful meat due to the

 length of the braising time, a sauce with a texture

 like melted gelatine and the contrasts of sweet and

 saltiness flavours.

Pata Tim is a Filipino-Chinese dish made out of

slowly braised or stewed pork hocks. Pata is the

 front or hind leg of the pig. In the Philippines, that

means the leg and the trotters (knuckles/hocks).

 Again, it���s been years since I last had this dish. I remember

how I love the sweet sticky dark sauce over my white rice

 and the meat that just fall off the bones as a result of the

 long cooking. My mother would usually go for pork

 hocks adobo style, complete with vinegar and

lots of garlic.

This was the first time that my kids and husband

 tried Pata Tim. They love the sauce but complained

 of not having enough lean meat, obviously because

of hocks having plenty of skin, tendons and ligaments.

 They are not fans of the fatty gelatinous parts which,

 on the other hand, I truly enjoy. Maybe next time, I will

 try cooking this together with some lean parts of

 the pork.

Just a note, this dish is not for everyone especially

those who are watching their cholesterol and weight

 levels. For me, I think I can try this again since the

stars have aligned in my favor. The results from my

annual physical check up came in today and did not

 mention any warning that I should cut back on

 fat intake.

 Everything���s normal, so I expect to have Pata Tim

 maybe in a month or two. It just brings back childhood

 memories when you can just simply enjoy your food

 without counting the fat contented.By the way, my

 kids asked me why it���s called Pata Tim. I don���t

 know kids. Just eat.

Seriously, seeing these fresh pork hocks in the grocery

 brought back memories. It���s been years. Ten years,

perhaps. So, before my tears start rolling down my cheeks,

 I bought the pork hocks. Besides, I heard the poor thing

shouting and screaming at me, begging for me to cook

 Pata Tim.

Ingredients

2 pcs small pork legs, cut into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces
4 pcs cardaba bananas, sliced
1 cup banana blossoms
3/4 cup soy sauce
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 1/2 cups pork stock
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
fish sauce (adjust the amount according to your liking)
2 pcs star anise
4 pcs bay leaves
2 tsp peppercorn
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 whole garlic, minced
peanut oil

Method

1. In a pot, brown garlic in peanut oil.
2. Add pork leg and brown on all sides.
3. Now add all of the remaining ingredients, apart from the banana blossoms and plantain bananas.
4. Bring to a boil and slowly simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.
5. Add the banana blossoms then simmer for additional 15 minutes.
6. Add the plantain bananas then simmer for additional 15 minutes.