Pata Tim

Okay, this is going to be tough one. Somebody from Japan asks me to add it here, so here it goes. First, you need to do this at least 2 days ahead to attain what you might call "falling off the bones tender". This requires you to use three methods in preparing this dish. One, boiling it to the point where the meat seems to fall right off the bones. Second, marinating it for a day to let the flavors seep into the flesh. Third, is braising the pata to infuse all the flavors and lock it inside. Another trick is to wash and remove all hair fragments from the pata. The procedure is simple but the tasks are the pain. Let's start...

Pata Tim
What you'll need:
1 whole front pork leg (hock), hoof removed
1 bulb garlic, chopped
1 onion, quartered
11/2 tbsp ginger, grated
3-4 pcs star anise
1 pc bay leaf
1/2 tsp peppercorns
8 med shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
1 tsp oregano, dried
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey, dark corn syrup or molasses
1 bundle bok choi, ends trimmed
sesame oil
salt to taste
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in
1/4 cup water to make a slurry

How to:
1. Clean the pork leg thoroughly. Leave no hairs by torching it or shaving.
2. In a large stock pot, boil the pork leg in water with salt and pepper. Season it well.
3. Boil for 6-7 hours or until pork leg is tender. You can use a pressure cooker if it's available to reduce cooking time. *Tip: Place a banana leaf on the bottom of the pot to prevent it from sticking.
4. While waiting for the pork leg to tenderize, combine all remaining ingredients except for the bok choi and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well. This will be the marinade.
5. When the pork leg is tender, drain and let cool for an hour.
6. Marinate the pork leg in the mixture. Place in the chiller section of the fridge and marinate for at least a day. Be sure to turn it occasionally to ensure equal distribution of the flavor.
7. After marinating, place the pork leg and marinade with 2 cups of water in a medium stock pot. Let boil but turn down the heat as soon as it boils. We don't want to burn it, we want it to be slowly cooked.
8. Simmer the pork leg for 2-3 hours. Follow the banana leaves tip to prevent it from sticking.
9. Remember to stir occasionally but be careful not to shred the pork leg into pieces. If it gets a little dry, adding a 1/2 cup of water is fine.
10. After braising, carefully place the pork leg in a oven proof dish and place in a convection oven at maximum heat. Cook until the skin/rind gets fluffy.
11. Remove from the oven and transfer the pork leg in a heat proof dish. Steam over simmering water for 30-45 minutes. Pour over the strained sauce but include the shitake mushrooms.
12. Add the bok choi and shitake mushrooms during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Arrange them in the sides.
13. Transfer the Pata Tim in a serving dish and drizzle over 1 tsp of the sesame oil.
14. Serve and enjoy!

Note to Katana: Isn't that easy?