Pata Pochero

by: Vanjo Merano | posted on: February 8, 2021 | modified on: February 8, 2021

Pochero is a stew that originated in Spain and is now regarded as one of the best comfort foods you can make at home. It’s considered a “peasant soup” because of its easily accessible and inexpensive ingredients. But even if others call it a “peasant soup,” this pata pochero is rich in flavor. This is the perfect dish to share with your family on a cool, rainy day.

Since we’re making pata pochero today, the meat we are using is, unsurprisingly, pata, or pork leg. Crispy pata is one of the more common dishes we have come to associate with that part of the pig. But the pork of a well cooked pata pochero should melt in your mouth, soaking up the dish’s delicious flavors.

One of the most striking elements of a pochero is the presence of bananas –– most specifically, saba bananas. The sweetness of the saba banana gives an accent to the warm, hearty stew. Another ingredient that adds to the layers of complexity of this dish is the Chorizo de Bilbao. Chorizo lends its smoky, savory flavor to the dish, pairing well with the sweet saba.

It takes quite a while to prepare pata pochero, but that’s only because it’s important to get your meat tender. Nobody wants dry or tough meat, after all! And if you don’t want to use pata for your pochero, there are other types of meat that would still satisfy your pochero cravings.

• This recipe for pork pochero uses pork belly as its main protein. It may not be the healthiest option out there, but the belly fat soaks up all the complex flavors of the pochero stew well.
• My Puchero Bulalo recipe combines two popular Filipino stews –– these are, of course, pochero and bulalo. The meat for this recipe is tasty and tender beef shank, which also helps in bringing out the flavor of the bulalo.
• Are you a fan of kare kare? If so, you might be familiar with the part of the cow called tripe. Also known as the tuwalya ng baka in the Philippines, tripe is enjoyable when cooked especially well. If you’re a fan, then this Beef and Tripe Pochero recipe is perfect for you! Both the tripe and beef chuck used are cooked until tender and delicious.

Whether it’s beef, chicken, or pork, pochero is a warm, sentimental dish that can bring back a lot of memories of you and your loved ones. Try this pata pochero recipe for you and your family to enjoy together!

A step by step guide to cooking pata pochero

The first step in making Pata Pochero is to prepare all your ingredients. It’s a good idea to boil your pork pata before cooking, so as to ensure the meat is tender. If you don’t do this, the other ingredients like the vegetables may overcook and not taste as fresh.

Boil your pork pata for 15 minutes. While doing so, make sure to start chopping the other ingredients you’ll use for this dish. The ingredients that need extra preparation are your saba bananas, potatoes, cabbage, onion, tomato, and garlic. Slice your saba banana and cut both potatoes and cabbage into quarters. Chop your onion and garlic, and dice your one tomato. Once you have all of those set, it’s time to start cooking.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil inside your wok. Add your onion in, sautéing it for 30 seconds. Add your garlic and continue sautéing for 20 more seconds. Put your tomato in and keep sautéing, up until you see your onion start to soften. Once it has, add your chorizo and cook for 2 minutes.

Now it’s time to add your boiled pata, fish sauce, tomato sauce, and water. Cook this mixture for 1 to 1 ½ hours, letting it boil. Keep the stove at a low to medium heat, and add water to your pata pochero as needed.

When your 1 ½ hours are up, add bananas, potatoes, and garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) to your pata pochero. Let these cook in the wok for about 5 to 8 minutes. Season your pochero with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Add your cabbage and long green beans, then cover the wok with a lid. Let the pochero cook together for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Lastly, add your bokchoy, letting it cook for another 3 minutes. Once everything has been thoroughly cooked and mixed well together, transfer your pata pochero to a serving plate. Your family can now enjoy your pata pochero with a steaming cup of rice.

Enjoy! Let us know what you and your loved ones think of this pata pochero.

Watch How to Cook Pata Pochero

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