How to Cook Crispy Kare-Kare Pork Pata
This is a variation of the all time Pinoy favorite, the kare-kare dish. This is a creative version of the pork pata kare-kare where the pork pata or pork hocks are cooked first as a crispy pata.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 345kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole pork pata cleaned and hairs removed
- 1 tsp. whole black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. course salt
- 1 pc onion quartered
- water for boiling
- cooking oil for frying
- sauteed shrimp paste bagoong alamang
Ingredients for the kare-kare sauce:
- 3 cups beef or pork broth
- 6 Tbsp. peanut butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp. patis
- 2 Tbsp. glutinous rice flour
- 2 pcs eggplant sliced
- 2 bundles string beans chopped into 3 inches length
- 2 bundles pechay
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp. achuete powder
Instructions
How to cook Crispy Kare-Kare Pork Pata:
- In a pot, combine pork pata, whole black pepper, onion, salt and enough water just to cover the pork pata. Bring to a boil and cook until tender for about 40 minutes. Drain and let dry.
- Deep fry in hot cooking oil until the skin are crispy for about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain excess oil and slice in serving pieces if desired.
- Steam the eggplant first than after 5 minutes add the string beans. After 4 minutes add the pechay in the steamer. Steam for another 3 minutes then turn of heat. Remove from the steamer and set aside.
- To make the kare-kare sauce; in a sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic. Put the water, peanut butter, rice flour, patis, pepper and atchuete powder.
- Stir until the rice flour is dissolved and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens and turn off heat. Serve sauce in a separate bowl with the crispy pata and vegetables. Serve also with sauteed shrimp paste.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips of Crispy Kare-Kare Recipe:
1. Perfecting the Pork Pata Crispiness One of the key elements that make Crispy Kare-Kare Pork Pata so delightful is achieving the perfect crispiness of the pork pata. To ensure your pork pata turns out crispy and delicious:- Dry Thoroughly: After boiling the pork pata, make sure to drain it thoroughly and let it air dry for a bit before deep frying. Moisture on the surface can hinder the crisping process.
- Hot Oil is Key: Heat your cooking oil to the right temperature before adding the pork pata. A sizzle upon contact is a good indicator that your oil is ready. Cooking in hot oil ensures a crispier result.
- Even Frying: To achieve an even crispiness, turn the pork pata occasionally while frying. This ensures that all sides are equally crispy and golden brown.
- Rice Flour Dissolution: When mixing the sauce ingredients, pay attention to dissolving the rice flour completely. Any lumps can result in an uneven and undesirable texture in the sauce.
- Adjust Consistency: The sauce should be thick and creamy but still pourable. If it becomes too thick, you can add a bit more water to reach the desired consistency.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. Some diners prefer a slightly sweeter or saltier sauce, so customize it to your preference.
- Steaming Order: Follow the suggested order when steaming the vegetables – eggplant, string beans, and pechay. This ensures that each vegetable is cooked to perfection without overcooking any of them.
- Don't Oversteam: Keep a close eye on the vegetables while steaming. Oversteaming can result in mushy vegetables, so follow the recommended steaming times for each type.
- Ice Bath Trick: After steaming, you can quickly immerse the vegetables in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and lock in their vibrant color and crunchiness. This is especially useful if you're preparing the vegetables ahead of time.