PATA TIM (PORK LEG STEW)

Ingredients 

3 pounds pata (pork leg)

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

5 tablespoons brown sugar

10 pieces dried lotus or chestnut seeds

7 dried Shitake mushrooms

7 pieces star anise

2 stalks BokChoy, quartered

Directions

1. Wash and clean pork leg. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes to remove smell and grime. Discard water.

2. In a medium pot, put the pork leg, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, mushrooms, lotus or chestnut seeds, brown sugar, star anise, and 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then lower heat to medium to medium-low and simmer for one hour. Every 5 to 10 minutes, scheme the impurities that float on top and stir and turn the pork leg making sure it doesn't get stick to the bottom of the pot and gets burned. Cook for another 30 minutes or until tender. Pata should be falling off its bones and sauce becomes thick and creamy.

3. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and blanch BokChoy for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp tender.

* Arrange on the center of a platter with BokChoy and mushrooms on the side as garnish. Serve with newly steamed white Jazmine rice.

* Serves 4 or more