Ingredients:
- 1 piece fully cleaned pig’s front hock – with still a little of trotters attached but hooves cut off (USA and Canadian front hocks command higher prices than back for they are meatier)
ANTI-FOUL SMELL BOILING SOLUTION:
- Enough tap water to cover entire hock in a casserole.
- 20 ml. any red wine
- 3 grams salt dissolved well
PRESSURE COOKER SOLUTION:
- Enough tap water to cover pre-boiled hock.
- 40 ml. soy sauce
- 3 grams salt
- 20 grams brown sugar
- 3 grams crushed black pepper
- 6 cloves crushed garlic
- 5 pieces star anise
- 2 pieces sliced “labuyo” (bird’s eye chilies)
OVEN TOASTER’S SEARING MIX:
- 15 ml. palm oil (or palm olein)
- 6 cloves crushed garlic, finely chopped
FINAL SAUCE MIX:
- 200 ml. of left over Pressure Cooker Solution
- 1 medium carrot sliced
- 5 pieces sliced shiitake mushrooms soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 10 grams corn starch dissolved in
- 30 ml. water (slurry-thickener)
- 3 grams chili powder (NOT chili pepper powder. Chili powder contains 5 or more spice-herb combination plus salt while Chili Pepper Powder is just the powder presentation of that particular chili pepper).
- 20 ml. soy sauce
- 15 grams brown sugar
Cooking Instructions:
- Bring to boil your well blended anti-foul smell boiling solution
- Once boiling starts, set timer and boil for 20 minutes. Discard water. Set aside hock.
- In pressure cooker, add in ALL ingredients tumble thoroughly until no lumps are evident.
- Lay pre-boiled hock, cover, attach nozzle and start under medium heat. When whistling starts, pressure cook for 30 minutes.
- Done…subject pressure cooker to running tap water, when whistling stops slowly remove nozzle-open cooker.
- Remove hock set aside including pressure cooker solution.
- Rub palm oil of the oven toaster’s searing mix unto all sides of hock. Rub crushed garlic as well. Lay unto toaster pan.
- Set toaster to high temp, ensuring top heating rod is in fiery-red state, wedge toaster pan in topmost slot for quick searing. Toast for 10 minutes each side.
- While you are on this searing stage, in a pan, heat the 200 ml. leftover pressure cooker solution.
- Add in sliced carrots, drained shiitake mushrooms, chili powder, soy sauce and brown sugar. Boil for 2 minutes.
- While boiling pour in slurry and stirring constantly, continue for few seconds until sauce thickens. Make your desired adjustments on saltiness & sweetness level, should you wish.
- Lay seared hock unto plate and pour in your sauce. Garnish. Serve. Watch your family’s happy smiles.
Recipe by J. Dante S. Morados
