Easy Slow Cooked Pata Tim

Instructions

1. Have your local butcher cut the pork shank or pork hock into even cuts, approximately 2" pieces. For this recipe, estimate approximately 1 lb of pork per person.
2. Rinse the pork pieces under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Add star anise, water, vinegar, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine and brown sugar into the slow cooker and stir with a large spoon to combine. For a mild star anise flavor, add two pieces. For a stronger star anise flavor, add three.
3. Set your slow cooker on Low for seven hours and then carefully place the cut pieces of pork into the liquid. Be sure to place the pork pieces evenly so that they are equally submerged under the liquid.
4. At the eighth hour, the collagen, connective tissues and ligaments in the pork should have melted, resulting in a super tender, almost gelatinous-like pork skin and fat texture. You should be able to pick any bone from the pork pieces clean straight out of the meat. Set your slow cooker to "Warm" at the eighth hour. While your pata tim is keeping warm in the slow cooker, prepare the bok choy and shiitake mushrooms.
5. If you do not have fresh shiitake mushrooms, dehydrated ones will do. Cut the stalk from the cap and then cut into 1/2" slices. Preparing dehydrated shiitake mushrooms: If using dehydrated mushrooms, remove the stalks from the dried caps and then soak the mushrooms for half an hour in a bowl of warm water. Hand squeeze excess water out and then cut the mushroom caps into 1/2" strips.
6. Cut the bok choy bunches at about 1/2" above the base to separate the leaves. Submerge into a sink of cold water to thoroughly wash between leaves. Drain in a colander and then place in salad spinner to remove excess liquid.
7. Adding garlic is entirely optional and based on your personal taste preference. Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat and saute the minced garlic until fragrant then toss in bok choy leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes covered. Add 1 tablespoon of water into the pan and continue cooking covered for an additional 5~6 minutes while mixing occasionally with a pair of kitchen tongs, until bok choy leaves have wilted but are still crisp and bright green. The water will add steam and speed up the cooking process.
8. Remove cooked bok choy leaves from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon cooking oil and saute the shiitake slices over medium-high heat while tossing every minute, until lightly toasted, approximately 5 minutes.
9. Place pork pieces at the center of a rectangular serving dinner plate, then arrange mushrooms and bok choy around pork along the perimeter. Spoon about 1/2 cup sauce from the slow cooker over pork and serve with white rice. The excess sauce can be served with rice alone when you are finished with the pork.

• Servings : 4-6
• Ready in : 510 Minutes
• Recipe Type : Dinner, Lunch, Meat
• Ingredient : Bok Choy, Meat, Mushrooms, Pork, Shiitake, Spices, Star Anise, Vegetables