PATA HAMONADO (Sticky Sweet Pork Hock)

 

Lately, the TRIBE’s choice of dessert is Almond Jelly with Fruit Salad (Canned).  I’m always left with the syrup/juice from the Fruit Salad and can’t bear to throw it away, so I freeze them in takeaway containers for future use.  As I browse on the internet, I happen to find recipes of Pata Hamonado using different kinds of syrups/juice from canned fruits.  I usually use Pineapple Juice for Hamonado but feeling adventurous last week, I’ve defrosted my spare big pork hock and Fruit Salad syrup/juice for this recipe.

What came out from this adventure was a lip smacking goodness of a dish and the taste even got better the next day!  The meat was tender and the fat/skin was melt in your mouth, with the addition of sweet/salty, slightly sticky caramel glaze that envelopes every nook and cranny of the pork hock pieces……it was just pure bliss!!!  This recipe only got a handful of ingredients and you only have time to invest as you have to simmer it for 1-2 hours but that’s about it.  You can do this while you clean the house and by the time your finish your chores, you got this sinful mouth watering dish.

 

PATA HAMONADO (Sticky Sweet Pork Hock) 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large pork hock (cut into approx. 4cm chunks)

2-3 large cloves garlic, roughly crushed

2 tbspn sugar

2 cups fruit salad syrup/juice (canned)

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cups water

1 bay leaf

good pinch of ground pepper

*used AUS Measuring Cups & Spoons

 

 

COOKING PROCEDURE:

 

~  In cold tap water, rinse the pieces of pork hock.  Trim stray hairs if there’s any.  Drain and place in a medium saucepan.  Add in crushed garlic, sugar, pepper and soy sauce.

~  Put in the Fruit Salad syrup/juice, water and bay leaf.

~  Bring to boil and lower heat till you achieve simmering stage (very gentle boil), skim the surface every now and then, till all the froth scum are gone.

~  Cook till the broth is just touching the base of the saucepan (approx. 1-2 hours).  Lower heat into low.

~  Stir pork hock pieces until they’re all well covered with the sticky sauce, at this stage you have to be careful as the sauce can be burnt easily.  Remove from stove.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEST WITH:   Fresh Steamed Rice.

NOTES:

• You can experiment with any leftover canned fruit syrup.

• When I say “simmer”, that’s when you lower your heat approximately around the medium mark and the broth have this steady gentle bubbles on the surface.