Tender Juicy Crispy Pata

Another comfort food is the crispy pata.  Not all can serve it right.  What's the secret to tender juicy crispy pata, fried or baked?

Ingredients

1 whole pig's leg

3 lemon grass (stalk only)

1/2 onion

2 tbsp Oyster sauce 

6 pcs bay leaf

2 tbsp whole peppercorn

6 pcs star anise

6 tsp rock salt

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

15 c water

10 c cooking oil

Procedure

1. Pour water in a deep cooking pot, let it boil.

2. Add lemon grass, bay leaf, whole peppercorn, star anise, 2 tsp salt, oyster sauce. Simmer.

3. Add the pig's leg in the simmering pot over low-medium heat until meat becomes tender for about 3 hours.  The pig's leg can be just half submerged in water.  Slow cooking makes the meat tender.

4. Remove the leg and set aside and hang to cool and dry. Keep it in the ref overnight uncovered.

5. Scor the leg (scar horizontally using a knife). Baste with oil, rub the leg thoroughly with garlic powder, black pepper and salt.  This keeps it dry.  Allow it to absorb the rub for 15 minutes.

6. Heat a pot with oil.  Deep fry the leg with medium heat until one side becomes brown and crispy and then flip it to cook the other side. 

For a healthier alternative or should i aptly say less sinful way, you can bake it at 475F for 30 minutes, then lower it to 375F for another 20 minutes.

7. Turn off heat. Remove leg and drain excess oil.  Serve with sprite, soy sauce, onion, salt, pepper for dipping sauce