Crispy Pork Knuckles is a Filipino dish of pork leg cut into smaller sections where it is twice cooked first in a seasoned broth then deep frying it to a very crispy state. Similar to Crispy Pata but in a smaller easier to handle package.
Have you ever cooked Crispy Pata? That crispy pork leg that everyone loves? Isn’t it very involved? First you need a very large vessel to cook the whole leg, it will also take a lot of time for it to tenderise, finally you have to cool it down before preparing a large wok with lots of oil for deep frying, not to mention all that splattering and dodging that hot oil. Now once its cooked, you serve that large chunk of meat, cutting them into portions are usually left with the diners so usually that crispy skin goes out first as that’s the prized part of this dish, the meat then becomes the leftovers.
Description
Crispy Pork Knuckles is a Filipino dish of pork leg cut into smaller sections where it is twice cooked first in a seasoned broth then deep frying it to a very crispy state. Similar to Crispy Pata but in a smaller easier to handle package.
4 pcs bay leaves
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In a large pot combine all pork leg ingredients, place over stove top over high heat then bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil turn the heat on low then let it simmer for 1 hour or until meat is cooked but not very tender.
Remove from the pot, drain thoroughly, place in a wire rack then let it rest for an hour to make sure it is dried out. If you have a dehydrator you can use this for better results, you can also sun dry it for 2 hours.
Once it is all dried out lightly brush the skin parts with lye water then place it in a large flat platter and place it in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.
Remove pork from the fridge, brush the outer layer with vinegar then rub the surface with salt. Let it rest for an hour and once ready remove excess salt from the skin by wiping it with kitchen towel.
Prepare a deep fryer or a wok, fill it with oil then heat to 180C. Gently add the pork and cover your wok or deep fryer with a splatter screen, using a cover will just circulate the water and it will splatter vigorously, let the steam escape. Fry pork until golden brown and crispy, this will take around 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from wok, set it aside then let it drain and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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