Name: Crispy Pata
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1 whole pork leg (pata, about 4–5 lbs); 10 cups water; 1 onion (quartered); 1 head garlic (halved); 3 bay leaves; 2 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp peppercorns; Vegetable oil (for deep frying); Salt for sprinkling; ¼ cup soy sauce; ¼ cup vinegar; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 chili pepper (sliced)

Spoon Simple

Crispy Pata

A whole pork leg boiled until tender, then deep-fried until the skin crackles and shatters. A show-stopping fiesta centerpiece served with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Prep 20 min

Cook 3h

Total 3h 20m

Serves 8

Dinner·Filipino·Hard

Ingredients

Step 1 — Boil the pata

1 whole pork leg (pata, about 4–5 lbs)
10 cups water
1 onion (quartered)
1 head garlic (halved)
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp peppercorns

Step 2 — Fry

Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
Salt for sprinkling

Step 3 — Dipping sauce

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 chili pepper (sliced)

Instructions

1
Boil until tender
Boil pork leg with onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns 2–2.5 hours until meat pulls easily from the bone. Drain and refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry the skin.
2
Deep fry
Heat oil to 375°F. Lower pork leg carefully and fry 30–45 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin is deeply golden and crackling. Rest 15 minutes.
3
Serve
Chop into pieces and sprinkle with salt. Serve with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Nutrition per serving: 680 cal · 48g protein · 2g carbs · 52g fat · 0g fiber

For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.