Pata Estofado
The perfect combination of sweet, sour, and savory, pata estofado is a hearty, filling stew that speaks to Filipinos’ love for bold flavors. With an assortment of ingredients with varying tastes, this dish combines the chewy, fatty pork we love with vinegar, soy sauce, and caramelized sugar –– not to mention the sweet and tropical…
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The perfect combination of sweet, sour, and savory, pata estofado is a hearty, filling stew that speaks to Filipinos’ love for bold flavors. With an assortment of ingredients with varying tastes, this dish combines the chewy, fatty pork we love with vinegar, soy sauce, and caramelized sugar –– not to mention the sweet and tropical banana!
This dish tends to make use of pork shoulder, but today I have opted, instead, to use the succulent pork hock we all know and love –– pata! While some may only know pata from the crispy pata that’s found a home in many Filipino celebrations, pata is actually useful in a variety of dishes! In pata estofado, for example, this remarkable pork cut is able to absorb all the tasty flavors our estofado has to offer.
Looking at the ingredients of this dish, you may notice a couple of similarities pork estofado has to another classic Filipino dish: adobo. Indeed, the combination of vinegar and soy sauce with a filling meat may ring a bell to many; adobo, after all, is incredibly popular across the country! But what makes this pata estofado stand out is the presence of a rich and sweet tasting banana! Bright and yellow, this fruit favorite lends not only its refreshing taste to this dish –– it brightens up your dish, too! Bananas’ color stands out from the other darker ingredients of pata estofado –– and it tastes incredible, as well!
Another important aspect of the dish is the caramelized sugar! With the other sauces of this pata estofado leaning more towards a savory flavor profile, the brown sugar we’ll be using is key to this dish’s sweetness. Caramelized sugar works well on both the pata and bananas, adding a sweet, buttery layer to this meal. Combined with soy sauce and white vinegar, you truly get the perfect combo of sweet and savory –– the best of both worlds!
Whether you want to treat yourself with a perfect bite or want to share it with your family, this pata estofado is sure to be a favorite at any dining table, no matter how big or small. This recipe takes some time in order to make your pata fully tender, but trust that the results are definitely worth it! Let’s try this pata estofado together!
How to Cook Pata Estofado
Before actually cooking your pata estofado, you need to boil your 2 lbs. of pork pata for about 15 minutes. Slice 2 bananas and one carrot, and chop 3 cloves of garlic as well. Don’t forget to prepare your other ingredients, too! These include your brown sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar, dried bay leaves, whole peppercorn, water, and cooking oil. A piece of Knorr Pork Cube is also enough to add a deeper flavor to this fantastic dish.
Let’s cook this pata estofado together! After heating 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan, add your bananas and fry each side. Once both are a nice brown color, remove your bananas from the pan and set it aside. In the same pan, and with the leftover oil, pan fry the pork pata. This will take about 3 minutes per side.
Next, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic directly over the oil, stirring it and the pork together. Add your 8 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir; this is when the caramelization begins! Once your sugar has melted and caramelized, pour your soy sauce, vinegar, and 4 cups of water into the pot. Cover and bring your pata estofado to a boil before adding in your Knorr Pork Cube. Around this time, your whole peppercorn and dried bay leaves go in, too.
After stirring all your ingredients together, cover the pot and continue boiling your bata on low heat until tender; this should take around 40 minutes. Once your time is up, turn the pork pata over, cover the pot, and boil for 40 minutes more.
The last things to add are your carrot pieces and fried bananas. After covering the pot, cook your pata estofado for the last five minutes –– and then, voila! It’s finally ready!
Serve your pata estofado warm by transferring it to a serving plate. With scoops of steaming white rice, share and enjoy this saucy, flavorful dish with your entire family! Let us know what you think of this perfect pata estofado!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed making this pata estofado, here are some other recipes that may catch your eye, too!
Lengua Estofado
Tender ox tongue simmering in a hearty stew –– what’s not to love? This dish is exactly like our pata estofado with a change in main protein! With a soft, melt in your mouth texture, lengua is definitely the star of the show in this vibrantly flavorful Filipino-Spanish dish. The addition of olives adds to the many layers of textures and tastes that will combine like heaven in your mouth!
Pata Tim
With an aromatic peppercorn and thick sauce, the sweet pata tim is another classic in Filipino-Chinese cuisine. You won’t just be won over by its delicious taste –– its aroma is equally mouthwatering! Baby bok choy is also a healthy addition to this pata tim, lending its mild, nutty taste to this meal. You’ll be needing cups on cups of rice for how addictive this dish can be!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Pata Estofado Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork pata boiled for 15 minutes
- 1 piece Knorr Pork Cube
- 2 pieces banana sliced
- 1 piece carrot. sliced
- 8 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 pieces dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
- 4 cups water
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add bananas and fry each side until it turns brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Pan fry the pork pata on the same pan for 3 minutes per side.
- Add garlic directly over the oil. Stir.
- Add brown sugar. Stir and continue cooking until the sugar melts.
- Pour soy sauce, vinegar, and water into the pot. Cover and let boil.
- Add Knorr Pork cube, whole peppercorn, and dried bay leaves. Stir. Cover the pot and continue boiling the pata in low heat until tender (around 40 minutes).
- Turn the pork pata over. Cover the pot once more and boil for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add the carrot and fried bananas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve. Share and enjoy!
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