Crispy Pata Recipe
“Tasty crispy pata recipe made of pork leg cooked until tender then deep-fried until golden and crisp. This traditional Filipino delicacy is a pork-lovers delight – savory tender juicy meat wrapped in a crunchy pork skin.”
Crispy pata or crispy pork leg is one of the popular Filipino pork dish. This meal can be served as a main course with rice and atchara (pickled green papaya) and an accompanying dipping sauce. It’s also known as pulutan that may be found on the menus of many Filipino eateries, especially bars. It is usually served during parties or celebrations.
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What is crispy pata
It’s a Filipino delicacy made from pork legs. It is traditionally deep-fried, but it can also be prepared in the oven. As the name says, the main goal is to have crispy skin on the outside yet tender meat on the inside.
Rodolfo Ongpauco, whose mother owned the restaurant Barrio Fiesta in Caloocan, north of Manila, “invented” the crispy pata in the 1950s when he chose to deep fried leftover pork legs. Barrio Fiesta Restaurant is the country’s first fine dining restaurant, serving nearly all native Filipino cuisine.
Because this dish takes a long time to prepare as well as the inconvenience of deep-frying, it’s frequently saved for special events or holidays. It is, nevertheless, typical to find it as an appetizer to enjoy with a beer or as a main meal with steamed rice on the menus of dine-in restaurants and bar houses.
How to cook Crispy pata
Cooking crispy pata takes time and it should be cooked with caution.
When preparing crispy pata, there are two main steps: boiling and frying. To ensure that the meat inside a large chunk of meat is cooked and seasoned before frying, it must first be boiled until tender and seasoned with salt and spices. This also aids in the crispiness of the skin when fried. Then double frying completes the dish and provides a nice crisp texture.
Boiling the pork leg.
This is the first step in making this dish. Boil the pork in a deep cooking pan with enough water for the leg to be completely submerged.
It’s a good idea to initially boil at high heat to let the scums float. Discard the froth before adding the spices and herbs which helps the meat absorb the flavors. Spices can also help to mask or eliminate unpleasant odors.
I use whole peppercorns, salt, garlic, onion, dried bay leaves (or “pinatuyong dahon ng laurel”) and lemongrass for these reasons.
Cover the pan and cook in low heat. The length of time the meat is cooked has an impact on its softness. Boiling will take around 1 hour or more. You can boil for longer and add water if necessary.
The most important thing to remember in this phase is to make sure the pork leg is thoroughly soft. After that, remove the pork leg from the cooking pot and allow it to cool down a bit.
Make sure that you brush it with vinegar and rubbed with salt. Let it air-dry for around 1-2 hours to allow the meat to absorb the salt.
Some people recommend freezing the boiled pata since it helps the skin crisp up when it’s fried. This may be true, but if you don’t have time for it, it can be a problem. This recipe will show you how to make crispy pata in just a few hours.
Frying the Pata.
In a large pot, heat enough oil. Before frying the pork leg, make sure the oil is completely hot. The optimal temperature for the oil is between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too high, the skin will burn before the meat within is fully cooked. If the temperature is too low, the meat will overcook and become dry before the skin has properly crisped.
Using a long kitchen tong, gently submerge the pig leg into the heated oil. Cover the pot immediately until the splattering sound subsides. Remove the lid and fry the pork leg for about 8-10 minutes on each side.
Remove the pork leg from the pan. Let it cool for about 15 minutes then fry again (double fry). Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown and crispy.
Another tip in making the skin extra crispy is to sprinkle some water over the pata during the last minute of frying. This will create spatter so be careful.
Remove the pork leg from the pan and set it on a wire rack to cool and drip any excess oil.
Cooking Crispy Pata in Oven
A safer way to make this dish at home is to bake crispy pata in the oven. Except for the frying part, the procedure is nearly identical.
Arrange the cooked pork leg in a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 430 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the skin is golden and blistered. Remove from heat and set aside for a few minutes before slicing.
Crispy Pata dipping sauce
Crispy pata is never complete without the dipping sauce.
The popular is the spicy vinegar mixture. It’s a combination of vinegar, soy sauce, chopped onions, crushed peppercorn, garlic and chili or chili flakes.
Another common dipping sauce would be the pork liver sauce (usually Mang Tomas brand) that goes along with lechon. It is a liver based sauce and more on the sweet side.
The other dipping sauce, which I personally like is the simple calamansi and fish sauce combination with chili. It gives a sour taste that complements the flavor of the fried pata. You can also substitute lemon for calamansi and soy sauce for fish sauce. Both tastes good and great as dipping sauce.
Cooking tips when boiling the pata
- Pluck or shave any remaining hairs from the pork leg.
- Submerge the pork in water when boiling to cook evenly. You can flip the other side after an hour of boiling to ensure that both sides are fully cooked.
- Place the boiled meat in a cooling rack to drain excess water. Air-dry for at least 1-2 hours to make sure that all liquid evaporates. Water is the cause of splattering during frying.
- Season the water only after removing the scums that floats on top.
Best tips when frying the pata
- Check that the oil temperature is between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.
- Be careful when frying the pork leg. Use a deep pan with cover when frying to provide additional shield against oil splatters. When frying the pork leg, the oil will spray all over the place. Extra protection is provided by a tall, sturdy pot. Your shield will be the cover.
- Immediately put the lid on the pot after placing the pork in the hot oil. Remove the cover once splattering sound lessen. The cover will keep you safe from the first few splatters, but it will also trap moisture, which will leak into the oil and cause more splatters.
- Use a splatter screen if it is available.
- Do not fry the meat for too long. It is recommended that the first fry should take around 8-10 minutes on each side and about 5 minutes on each side on the second fry.
- To make the skin extra crispy, sprinkle some water over the pata during the last minute of frying. This will create spatter so be very careful.
How to serve
Crispy pata can be served as an appetizer (pulatan) or as a main dish with steaming rice. The crispy pork is also a fantastic party food for special occasions and get-togethers. To balance the rich flavor, serve with atchara and dipping sauce.
How to store and reheat crispy pata
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight jar for up to 3 days.
The simplest way to reheat meat is to place it in a regular oven or an air fryer, if available with the skin facing up. Reheat for 10-15 minutes at 400°F. Wrap aluminum foil around the softer meat to keep it from burning.
Never use the microwave as it will affect the crispiness and tenderness of the meat. You may also re-fry it but watch out not to overdo it.
Serve this crispy pata in your next meal or party celebration and let me know how it turns out. Happy tummy!
Crispy Pata Recipe
Equipment
- deep pan and tongs
- Chopping board and knife
- cooling rack / wire rack
- measuring spoon and measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 piece pork leg
- water
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorn
- 2 and ½ tablespoons salt — divided for boiling and rubbing
- 1 head garlic, split in half diagonally
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 pieces bay leaves
- 2 stalks lemon grass, pounded and cut into 3parts
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- cooking oil
Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked whole peppercorn
- ¼ teaspoon salt — optional
- 1-2 pieces Thai chilies, chopped — or siling labuyo or chili flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar – – optional
Instructions
- Remove any stray hairs from the pig leg with a knife or shave.
- Place the pork leg in a deep cooking pot and pour in water enough to cover the pork. Cover and bring to a boil using high heat. Remove the scums that floats at the top.
- Put in whole peppercorn, salt, garlic, onion, bay leaves and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour or until the pork leg becomes tender. Add more water if needed.
- Take out the tender leg from the cooking pot and drain using a cooling/ wire rack. Set aside to cool down.
- Brush the leg with vinegar and rub with salt. Let it stand and air dry for about 1-2 hours to absorb the rub.
- In a large cooking pot (with lid) using medium heat, pour and heat cooking oil to 350 °F temperature.
- Once oil becomes hot, gently place the pork leg and cover the pot. Remove the cover when the splattering sounds subsides and replace with splatter screen if available.
- Fry over medium heat until one side of the leg is crispy, then flip the leg carefully to the other side. Note: Be extremely careful when doing this step
- Remove the pata from the oil and let it cool down for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat while waiting for the fried pata to cool down.
- After 15 minutes, turn on the heat to medium and wait for the oil to heat to 350 °F. Double fry the pata for 5 minutes on each side or until it is crispy on both side.
- Optional step (be careful when doing this): During the last minute of cooking, sprinkle water over the pata and cover if necessary and let the splatter subside. This will make the skin crispier.
- Transfer to a wide serving plate. Serve with steaming rice or as is with dipping sauce and atchara on the side.
- Dipping Sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir well. Adjust according to your taste.
- Share and enjoy!
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