The Day-Off Chef: ‘Pata Bihon’

For this month’s edition of Lasang Pinoy hosted by the fabulous Toni with a focus on vegetables, I would have wanted to feature those favorite dishes of mine cooked with coconut milk. Problem is, cooking with coconut milk remains my waterloo. Somehow, I can’t seem to perfect the recipe for guinataang langka or guinataang sitaw at kalabasa – all yummy with native fish, fried to a crunchy perfection. Between these and a gourmet meal, I’d take home-cooked/ carinderia mush anytime.

The dish I cooked won’t qualify as a veggie dish since its star ingredient is pork hocks (pata) , but this can be transformed into vegetarian all the way with a little use of the imagination. “Pata Bihon” is something you can order on some Chinese restaurants even if it’s not listed on the menu; that’s because this is very easy to make and is guaranteed to relieve your hunger pangs/noodle cravings.

Pata Bihon gets its star flavoring from this yellow can of pork leg and mushrooms (available in Philippine groceries, if you care to look…it’s just that the inscriptions are in Chinese, but you’ll easily recognize it with the pork leg drawing :P)

Open the can and transfer contents (pata bits and gravy) to a bowl.

Chop up your garlic and onions. Saute you preferred vegetables which may include the following: cabbage, carrots, green beans, cauliflower/broccoli stems, bean sprouts, pechay – all sliced and/or chopped. Separate half of the amount for toppings.

Add pork leg sauce and some water. Season with pepper, salt, soy sauce and a dash of sugar.

Put in bihon (rice noodles, similar to vermicelli) and allow to absorb the sauce for a few minutes while mixing with the vegetables.

Add pork leg last and mix in again (canned pork leg is already cooked).

*** for vegetarian dish, omit pork leg, just add its sauce.

*** dish is good for two-three persons.