Pata and Beans

Pata and Beans is a Filipino dish inspired by the baked and beans dish, but instead of just using beans and a bit of pork, this dish is loaded with tender melting fat and fall of the bone meat from pork hock.

If you are like me wondering why it is called pork and beans when there is only one piece of pork fat floating on that can, then you are not alone. There is an old joke back in the Philippines that says, it is called pork and beans not “porks and beans” because of that one piece of meat, if there are many then it would be plural. Jokes aside, if you are dismayed with that single piece of pork then why not make your own version and load it with meat, and this recipe is a great example were we don’t just use a regular cut of pork, instead we used pork hock which is rich in collagen, good amount of fat and a nice texture from the muscle meat, add the bones in then you’re in for a treat, since this dish will definitely be a flavourful one.

With our recipe today we opted on making our own baked beans instead of using the can so I can control the taste and texture of the beans. While this can be easily made by using a can sautéed with garlic and onions, there is no better thing than a homemade version.