Cooking Crispy Pata: Secret to Making it Extra Crispy

So, would you like a crispy pata at Ambers restaurant as much as my family and I do? I understand; isn’t the desire for this mouthwatering meal irresistible?

Its succulent meat and crispy skin combine to create a tantalizing combination. It is created with a spice-coated pig leg that is cooked with onion, garlic, and bay leaves.

When cooked, it will taste even better when paired with my special recipe for dipping sauce. You have the option to pair the dish with papaya atchara or not. Scroll down the page a little to see my Crispy Pata recipe’s secret if you want to make this at home!

Price and serving options on Amber’s menu

Serving Size	Price
3-4 persons	₱ 790.00

What Makes Crispy Pata Irresistible?

The crispy, delicious skin of the Crispy Pata at Amber Restaurant is what keeps our family coming back for more. I’ve had this dish at a lot of eateries, but only a select few offer authentically crunchy pata.

I looked up this secret recipe online and discovered the components and preparation techniques that will allow you to make it at home with the same flavor. So let’s give it a go!

Tender Meat: The cooking method is essential to getting a tender meat texture. The leg of pork is first boiled with a mixture of spices, including onions, bay leaves, and garlic, until the meat is soft.

Cooling/Freezing the Leg: The freezing step is the game-changer—or, in my opinion, the taste-changer—after the boiling step. To help dry up the skin, the leg is kept in the freezer for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Sauces: For a special occasion, a dipping sauce is a necessity. To make the sauce, I combine red onion, crushed peppercorns, vinegar, and soy sauce. I promise that every bite will taste even better with this sauce.

Customization: To fully enjoy this tasty dish, don’t forget to purchase beverages. While my son enjoys the tart taste of orange juice paired with crispy pata, I always choose a cool Tetra juice drink. The menu card has additional options for you to select!

Let’s Make the Best Crispy Pata at Home

Since this dish is my family’s favorite, I tried it countless times at home until I got the same restaurant taste. Here’s what I did:

Key Ingredients:

• 1 whole pork leg (1.5 to 1.8kg)
• 1 head garlic
• 1 small onion 
• 1 ginger 
• ⅓ cup of vinegar 
• 6 to 7 cups of water
• 4 cups cooking oil  
• Iyle water

Spices:

• Salt for taste 
• ⅓  of rock salt 
• A few star anise
• One tablespoon peppercorns 
• 2 to 3 bay leaves

Serving:

• Dip sauce:
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small hot chopped chili pepper

Cooking Instructions

• First, fill a bowl large enough to hold the pig leg with chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. After putting the pig leg in the bowl, add six or seven cups of water.
• To the water, add vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, and salt (to taste). Once the meat and skin are somewhat soft, cover the saucepan and boil the leg for an hour or longer.
• To equally tenderize both sides, don’t forget to rotate the leg after a while.
• After taking the pork leg out of the dish, drain the water by placing it on a clean rack, and leave it to rest for a minimum of half an hour.
• Brush the pig leg skin with a few teaspoons of lye water that you have in a small bowl. Refrigerate the leg for at least five hours, but preferably overnight for maximum crispiness.
• Brush the skin once more the next day, but use vinegar this time. After applying rock salt to the skin, allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Then, use a paper towel to wipe the salt from the skin.
• Pick up another large bowl, set it over the burner, fill it with oil. After ensuring that the oil is quite hot, carefully transfer the leg to the basin and deep-fry it at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides.
• Transfer the Crispy Pata to a serving platter carefully so as not to burn your hands, then eat it with dipping sauce.
• This is how my family makes dipping sauce:
• Enjoy this with Crispy Pata. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, crushed peppercorn, red onion, and chili labuyo.

Crispy Pata Nutritional Profile

I know how important it is to know about the caloric content of a dish for health. This is why I’ve included the nutrition table based on my research. So enjoy your dish!

(1 serving, approximately)	500 to 600 g
Calories	1300-1500 cal
Proteins	50-60 g
Fats	110-130 g
Carbohydrate	1-3 g
Fibre	0 g
Sugar	0 g
Sodium	1000-1200 mg

Conclusion

Congratulations! Now you have the recipe (my secret) for crispy pata, like the Amber restaurant style. It’s not at all difficult; just make sure to freeze the legs overnight for a flavorful and crispy taste.