Paksiw na Pata (Braised pork trotter, Filipino style)

This is my recipe of paksiw na pata or braised pork trotter, Filipino style. My mom used to serve this dish to her siblings during their Sunday visit. She would alternately use pork trotter or half of pig's head. They will not leave the table until they have eaten all my mom's paksiw na pata or ulo.

Ingredients:

1 pc pork pata (pork trotter), chopped into desired size
1 cup dark soy sauce
1 cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
4 pcs bay leaves
1 whole local garlic
2 stems dried oregano
½ cup banana blossoms (dried lily buds)
1 tsp whole peppercorns

Procedure:

Boil pata in water for 15 minutes, drain.

Add enough water and the rest of the ingredients and boil for 1 ½ to 2 hours until pork pata is tender. Stir after an hour so that the pork or other ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the pork is tender, remove the oregano and bay leaves.

Similar to paksiw dishes and adobo, this dish is best eaten the next day. Just heat it and serve with rice.

Pointers:
1. The liquid for boiling(water, soy sauce and vinegar) should be a little over the pork trotter.
2. Press garlic against the cutting board with the side of a knife. Include the garlic peel.
3. Tear the bay leaves into several pieces to release the aromatic oils.
4. Very lightly crush peppercorns with a heavy skillet or similar tool.
5. Tie together dried oregano so that it is easier to remove it once the food is cooked.
6. Do not stir while the vinegar is still uncooked. Let it boil for an hour before stirring.
7. If the liquid dries and the pork pata is not yet tender, add half a cup of water.
8. If you want to serve the dish with the banana blossoms, add half at the start and add half after an hour of boiling.
9. You can opt to remove the bones before reheating and serving. Cut the meat into serving pieces.