Description
Pork shank simmered in soy, vinegar, and pan-fried saba bananas—a sweet-savory Visayan twist on traditional paksiw.
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 1 1/2 kg pork hock (pata), cut into serving pieces
- 1 head garlic, crushed
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, smashed
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cane vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (adjust to taste)
- 3 ripe saba bananas, sliced and pan-fried
- 2 pcs dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 3 cups water or pork broth
- salt, to taste
- oil, for sautéing and frying
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (for slurry, optional for thickening)
Instructions
- In a deep pot over medium-high heat, sear the pork hocks in oil until nicely browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Lower the heat and sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger until fragrant.
- Return the pork to the pot. Add soy sauce, vinegar (do not stir yet), brown sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Let it boil uncovered for 5 minutes to mellow the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Pour in water or pork broth just until the meat is covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 1.5 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender.
- Add the pan-fried saba bananas and simmer for another 10–15 minutes, just until the bananas are soft but still holding their shape.
- If you prefer a glossy, thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce, sugar, or salt. The sauce should be savoury, slightly sweet, with banana richness.
- Serve hot in a claypot or deep bowl alongside lots of steamed rice.