MANILA, Philippines — Chef Penk Ching has always been known as the "Queen of Wedding Cakes."
Her wedding cakes, with their unique and creative designs and impeccable execution, are preferred by high society and celebrity couples for their respective weddings.
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But in a Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite Series class, she showed the other side to her culinary persona — that of a home cook of Chinese descent. She made and decorated cupcakes and fondant cakes, but she also cooked Pata Tim and Scallion Pancakes, treats that have made by her grandmother and mother and taught to her.
Chef Penk shows how her family cooks their Pata Tim.
Pata Tim
Ingredients:
1 piece pata (front leg)
4 cups water
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup vinegar
3-4 pcs. star anise
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 pcs. bay leaves, crumbled
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Chinese pechay
Procedure:
1. In a pot, parboil leg with water for 10 minutes. Remove all impurities and water.
2. In a casserole, add the remaining ingredients, except Chinese pechay. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Add the parboiled leg to the broth mixture in the slow cooker or heavy duty casserole and cook to simmer until tender.
4. Boil Chinese pechay in a separate sauce pan.
5. Line the bottom of a serving platter with the boiled pechay. Remove pork from cooker and place on top of the pechay and pour sauce over. Garnish with wansuy or cilantro and star anise. Serve hot.
*Serves 6.
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