Pata Tim (Braised Pork Leg)

Using simple ingredients, this Chinese recipe is great for any occasion. It is a meal by itself and does not need a lot of attention.

INGREDIENTS:
     1 Pata (pork leg about 1-1/2 kilo)
     3 cloves garlic
     1/2 tspn. whole black peppers
     3 star anise
     3-4 tablspns. brown sugar
     1 laurel leaf
     2 tblspns. soy sauce
     6 black mushrooms
     5 pcs. Taiwan Pechay
     2 tablspns. corn starch
     1 tspn. salt

Recipe:
Place the pork leg in a pot and add some water to cover the pork. Add the garlic, laurel leaf, salt, soy and start anise and boil for an hour with the skin facing down.

After an hour, turn the leg over and add the brown sugar on the skin. Continue boiling (medium heat) for another hour and a half or until the pork is tender. Then set the pork aside and boil the mushrooms and the pechay until tender and set aside.

With the liquid in the pot, add a half cup of water diluted with corn starch and continue boiling until the sauce thickens. Arrange the veggies on a semi deep platter and place the pork leg on top. Pour the sauce and serve.