Budget-Friendly Pata Tim Perfect for Pasko

Pata tim is a braised Filipino dish with Chinese influences. It’s comparable to other classic ulam, like Visayan humba or paksiw na pata, but it leans more on Oriental flavors from spices and seasonings. It gets its name from its star ingredient: pork hock.

Traditionally, the hock is cooked and served whole in a sweet-and-savory sauce. However, this technique makes it harder to achieve an even cook. In this pata tim recipe, you'll need to slice the meat into ready-to-serve chunks, so each section is saucy, fork-tender, and flavorful. Make this succulent dish for Media Noche and greet the new year with a full, happy belly.

Tips

Use a pressure cooker to speed up cooking time without compromising the pork’s texture.

105 min.
4 People
Medium
Average

Ingredients

1 kg pork pata, sliced into serving pieces
1 cup light soy sauce
2 cups water
3 pcs star anise
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bunch pechay, trimmed
Knorr Liquid Seasoning, to taste

Cooking Method

Combine pork pata, soy sauce, water, star anise, and brown sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cook until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce is thick.
Add pechay and simmer for 1 minute. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick. Finish with Knorr Liquid Seasoning to taste. Serve warm.

Take inspiration from other variations by adding other common pata tim ingredients, like mushrooms, pineapples, and banana blossoms. Apart from freshly steamed white rice, you can also serve mantou (Chinese steamed buns) with your pata tim. Soak up that luscious sauce!

If pata tim isn’t your family’s go-to for celebratory meals, then it’s bound to be once they taste this. Do you have leftovers after your feast? Cook some Hong Kong-style egg noodles and steam more pechay to serve with the braised pork. Enjoy the easiest New Year's lunch ever!