Paksiw na pata is a Filipino dish made of pork hocks and banana blossoms stewed in vinegar and soy sauce. Melt-in-your-mouth tender and smothered in a sweet and savory sauce, it's delicious with steamed rice!
Since pork is said to be a "lucky" dish to serve on New Year, I thought I'd update this paksiw na pata, first posted on the blog in 2013, and include it in our holiday series. If you're looking for more ways to enjoy pork, check out my hamonado, guisantes, humba, menudo, and estofado recipes! They're perfect for large parties and are sure to be hit with the crowd.
Paksiw is a Filipino style of cooking where meat, fish, or vegetables are stewed in vinegar and spices such as garlic, ginger, onions, and peppercorns.
In this pata version, pork hocks or knuckles are the type of cut used, and soy sauce is added for a savory flavor. Other key ingredients also give this patang paksiw its distinct taste. Brown sugar is stirred during the last few minutes of cooking for a touch of sweetness, along with dried banana blossoms for texture.
Cooking tips
- Sear the meat- While you can just throw everything in the pot to simmer, I suggest taking the extra step of browning the pork. Searing over high heat caramelizes the meat's surface, enriching the dish with more complex flavors.
- Boil the vinegar- Allow the vinegar to boil, uncovered and without stirring, for a few minutes to cook off the strong acid taste.
- Give it time- Cooking low and slow allows the fat to melt and the tough connective tissues to soften. This paksiw is best when the hocks are cooked until they fall off the bone.
- Use brown sugar- and not white, as it has a slightly less concentrated sweetness and contains molasses for added depth of flavor.
- Want to make it extra special?- Add pineapple chunks or pan-fried saba bananas!
This braised pata dish is simple to prepare, albeit it takes a couple of hours to simmer to adequate tenderness. No time to tend the pot? You can make it in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker!
- Slow Cooker- takes longer, but it can cook unattended. Sear the meat in a pan on the stovetop and combine it with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on HIGH for about 4 to 6 hours or on LOW for about 6 to 8 hours. When the meat is tender, remove the lid and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until the sauce is reduced. Or transfer the liquid into a saucepan and simmer on the stovetop until reduced.
- Pressure Cooker- cooks in half the time. Sear the meat in a pan on the stovetop or use the SAUTE feature of an Instant Pot and combine it with the rest of the ingredients in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on HIGH for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the hocks. Carefully remove the lid of the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's directions. Continue to simmer, without the lid, until the sauce is reduced as desired.
Serving suggestions
Serve this paksiw na pata for lunch or dinner as the main entree, with generous helpings of steamed rice as an excellent canvas for the delicious meat and sweet and savory sauce.
Storage and reheating instructions
- Like adobo, paksiw na pata keeps well for days due to the use of vinegar. Cool completely and store in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 F.
More pata recipes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pounds pork shanks or hocks, cut 2-inch thick
- 2 bay leaves
- ยผ teaspoon peppercorns, cracked
- 1 cup vinegar
- ยฝ cup soy sauce
- 2 cups water
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- ยฝ cup dried banana blossoms (lily buds)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and onions and cook until softened.
- Add pork hocks and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides.
- Add vinegar and bring to a boil, uncovered and without stirring, for about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, water, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
- Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 ยฝ to 2 hours or until meat starts to fall off the bone, adding more water in ยฝ cup increments as needed.
- Add sugar and banana blossoms. Continue to cook until blossoms are softened, meat is very tender and sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Season with salt to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Liza Reyes says
Hi Lalaine!
Just made it last night following your recipe. It's so gooood. Used pork butt -that was what was available at the butcher. 25 minutes in the stove-top pressure cooker. With rice and some greens for a balanced meal. Thanks for the recipe. Never fails. Five stars
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Liza! I'm always happy to help. Glad it worked out well.
May Valencia says
Hi, is there any alternative to banana blossoms? I cannot find it in any store here in Canada. Thanks
Lalaine says
You can omit it ๐
rica says
susubukan ko pong lutuin ito ngayon. sana maayos ang kalabasan. thank you big help po kayo
Lalaine Manalo says
Happy cooking!
MrAppz says
kung walang brown sugar, pwede bawhite sugar?
Lalaine says
Yes, you can use white sugar but reduce the amount as it's sweeter than brown sugar ๐
Kendrick G. says
This helps me a lot to cook something for my father. Take note i don't know how to cook but your site helped me a lot. Especially when they asked me to cook something for the family and surprised my wife that i know how to cook. Ahaha
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Kendrick! Glad we could help ๐
MayBe says
neyboooooor!!!!
Dinner namin tonight. Thank you. Keep on posting recipes. It really helps!
May
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi May! Thank you for your kind words. We're working hard on posting more recipes ๐
Ann says
Can I use any part of pork? Nagkecrave ako and that is all I have right now ๐
Lalaine says
Yes, you can ๐
Bea says
Hi! ๐ whenever i look for recipes online i always prefer your site. I just followed all your steps and bought all the ingredients you said and i never failed in cooking. Thank you so much for your help. May God bless you more. ๐
Lalaine says
Than you so much, Bea. You made me happy ๐
MayBe says
our lunch today, Sunday. you always make it easier for me. your recipes are my to-go menu planning or for my emergency cooking. salamuch!
Lalaine says
Thank you, neighbor ๐
judy says
My mom and i made this twice already, followed it perfectly. We did not have banana blossoms so i substituted it with shiitake mushrooms. Thank you because it was so delicious, i love your website.
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Judy! I'd have to try making this with Shiitake mushrooms--it sounds delicious!
cookingflip says
I used your recipe as my guide and the dish turned out really well. Thank you. I just posted what I made, and mentioned you with a link to this post. Thanks again.
DIONNE MONTELOYOLA says
Thank you sa recipe. I can cook now something different. Being an ofw, mahirap ung malayo sa family kailangan matuto magluto otherwise magtitiis sa puro prito hahaha. Kudos to you and more power Lalaine continue doing your passion. God bless you more.
Lalaine says
Hello Dionne
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am glad nakakatulong ang mga recipes saiyo. I know how hard it is to be away from home. Ako almost 30 years nang wala sa Philippines but I still miss ang mga pagkain sa atin. God Bless.
Richel Eicher says
I want to cook this pero wala po akong banana blossom. Ano po ba puede i-substitute na gulag? Thanks!
Lalaine says
Hello Richel,
You can just omit it. ๐
JOEL says
PAKSIW NA PATA;
INGREDIENTS,
1 KILO BAKA/BABOY(BEEF TAIL OR PIG FOOT)
1 CUP SUKA(VINEGAR)
1 TABLES SPOON PAMINTA(BLACK PEPPER CRUSHED/WHOLE)
5 BAWANG(GARLIC GLOVES)
1 PC. SIBUYAS(MEDIUM UNION RED)
5 PCS. DAHON (LAUREL BAY LEAVES)
2 PCS. TANGLAD(LEMONGRASS)
1 PC LUYA(GINGER)
ASIN(SALT TO TASTE)
PETSAY(PETCHAYS)
PATATAS/GABI(POTATOE)
3 CUPS OF WATER
INSTRUCTION,
MIX ALL ENGREDIENTS EXCEPT WATER IN PAN,BOIL FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES THEN PUT WATER, ALLOW TO BOIL, LOWER HEAT 2 TO 3 HOURS DEPENDS ON THE MEAT IF ITS SOFT THEN PUT THE POTATOE AND LAST THE PETSAY
Lalaine says
Thank you, Joel, for sharing. I can't wait to try your version of paksiw na pata. Sounds delicious!
Michelle says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It's easy and the taste is just the way I imagined it.
Fatima says
Hi I just tried this recipe. Very easy and no fuss preparation. It is a bit sour and added a little more of the brown sugar.
It is good.
Josephine says
I'm very fascinated with all your Filipino recipes, but being an Australian living in Australia I don't know where to buy the banana blossoms or if they're even available here. So, could I replace it with a sliced regular banana to at least get some banana flavour into the dish.
Lalaine says
Hi Josephine
I am not sure about regular bananas but the saba or cardava bananas (cooking bananas) would work. If you don't have access to that as well, just omit the banana blossoms altogether. It will still be delicious ๐
Josephine says
Thank you for your quick response and I'm looking forward to many more of your delicious recipes.
Lalaine says
My pleasure:)
celeste says
Hi. In Australia, you can find 'banana blossoms' in packs labelled 'dried lily flowers' in any well-stocked Asian/Oriental shop. Cheers.
Lalaine says
๐