Crispy Pata-Not Deep Fried

(Instant Pot and Air Fried)

Pata, pronounced “pah-tah”, is the pig’s thighs as ham or shoulders as picnic. It is boiled or simmered with seasonings for a long time until the pork is very tender.  It is taken out from the broth and allowed to dry, some even suggest to keep it in the freezer overnight but I don’t think it is necessary.  It is to make sure that the skin is very dry so that when it is deep fried, the skin will become crisp, much like chicharrones or pork rind.  But I found that it is not necessary to freeze it.  With the method I used, the skin came out dry enough that all I had to do was blot it with paper towels.

I found a cut of pork at an Asian store that was labeled “boneless pork shank” with skin on. I could not see exactly what it was because it was folded or cramped in the packaging but I guessed it may be pata or pig’s thigh and thought I’d try to make “crispy pata” with it. I never made this dish before even though I always heard from relatives and Filipino friends how good it is. Filipinos came up with this dish that is so similar to lechon except they only use a portion of the pork called pata instead of roasting a whole suckling pig and it is just as good as the lechon.

Almost all Filipino dishes are not cooked in an oven because not everybody has an oven. Most dishes are cooked on the stove and this pork dish is deep fried and not roasted.

Deep frying with pork skin is dangerous because the oil will pop, explode and splatter, hopefully not on your face. This is the reason why I did not try to make this dish because I am afraid of the oil exploding on me.  I came up with the idea of air frying it and it turned out perfect.  That is, if your meat portion will fit in your air fryer and not so big.  Otherwise, you can use an oven.       

I have roasted fresh pork picnic or fresh pork ham with bones and skin but never deep fried. They always turned out good with crispy skins. 

Procedure:

Put about 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot. 

Add:

• 1 1/2 tsps. salt
• ½ tsp. whole pepper corn
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (you can also use minced fresh garlic)

Place a trivet in the pot and place the pata on it skin side up. If you don’t have a trivet, place the pata in the water but make sure the skin is not in the water.  Drain some of the water if the skin is under the water. Sprinkle the skin with about:

• ½ tsp. salt and
• ½ tsp. garlic powder

Pressure cook for 40 minutes. Let it de-pressurize by itself then remove the pata from the broth.  (Save the broth for something else if you like).

Let it cool then blot and dry the skin with paper towels. 

When ready to air fry, brush the skin with oil.  Air fry skin side up at 400°F for about 7 minutes or until the skin is browned and looks crisp.  Keep a close watch so it won’t get burned.  Cut it up and serve with your favorite sauce like store-bought lechon sauce or vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. 

Note: This recipe is for a small piece of boneless thigh, about 1 1/2 pounds. If your meat is large, opt to roast it in the oven. Find the recipe here: Pork Shoulder Roast.