The secret technique to Crispy Pata Pork knuckle (deep-fry it thrice)
Crispy Pata is also called a crispy fried pork knuckles recipe. Filipinos are well-known lovers of any food that’s fried, especially deep-fried.
The technique I use in this recipe to achieve that extra crispy and oh-so-crunchy texture is frying the pork knuckles thrice. This gives blisters to the outside layer of the knuckles and keeps the crispy pata hot and crispy. The secret is drying and cooling the pork skin before re-frying.
Read on to get all of the tips needed to pull this delicious dish off!
The ideal part of the pork to be used in this recipe is the front leg of the pork. The skin of the pata is scored and it is served whole.
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How to make crispy pata at home
Crispy pata recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)
- 1 bottle soda (7Up or sprite)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
- ½ tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- 4 tbsp flour
- Enough oil for deep frying
- Enough water for boiling
Instructions
- Clean the pork pata by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly.
- Make four to five-inch cuts on the sides of the pata.
- On a deep stock pot, place the pata in water with soda and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the baking soda and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the pata from the pot and hang and allow to drip dry for 24 hours. An alternative to this is to thoroughly drain the pork pata and refrigerate for a few hours.
- After the above process, rub patis on the pata and sprinkle flour liberally.
- In a deep frying pot, heat cooking oil and deep fry the pork pata until golden brown.
Notes
Why you want to cool the pork skin every time
The shock effect of cooling and the re-exposure to the high heat that makes the skin very crispy. Others opt to debone the pata after the third frying for better plating and presentation.
The crispy pata recipe is tedious to make and it takes a lot of effort to make it. Some cooks are preparing this in batches and store the pork knuckles after the first or second frying.
The pork can then be thawed and is now ready for its third frying.
Crispy Pata Recipe and Preparation
Crispy Pata is best served with Atsara or Fermented papaya in sweet and sour relish. The tartness of the atchara balances the richness of the crispy pata.
The chewiness of the shredded papaya meats and fibers blends into the crunchy texture of the crispy pata. If you cannot buy or make your own atsara, a simple dipping can be made.
A mixture of vinegar that is spiced with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, chopped, and onions and minced red chili pepper will also do wonders when the crispy pata recipe is paired with this.
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.