Kadyos, Baboy kag Langka

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork hock (pata), cut across into thick rounds
• 1 1/2 cups dried kadyos (pigeon peas), soaked overnight
• 400 g young green jackfruit, cut into thick wedges
• 10 batwan fruit, or 4 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and knotted
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2.5 litres water
• 1 large bunch pechay or alugbati leaves
• 3 siling haba (long green chillies)
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Before you cook

• Soak the dried pigeon peas in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain them.
• Ask the butcher to saw the pork hock into thick rounds.
• Rub your knife and hands with oil before cutting the green jackfruit, because the sap is sticky.
• Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife and tie each into a knot.

Steps

1. Put the pork hock rounds in a large pot, cover them with cold water and bring to the boil.
2. Boil hard for 5 minutes, then tip everything into the sink and rinse the pork clean of scum.
3. Return the rinsed pork to the clean pot with the 2.5 litres of fresh water.
4. Add the soaked pigeon peas, the lemongrass knots and the quartered onion.
5. Bring it back to the boil, then drop the heat to the gentlest possible simmer.
6. Cook uncovered for 90 minutes, skimming occasionally, until the pork skin is soft and the broth has turned a dusky purple.
7. Test a pigeon pea; it should be creamy through, so give it another 20 minutes if it is still firm.
8. Add the jackfruit wedges and simmer for 20 minutes until they are tender enough to cut with a spoon.
9. Crush the batwan fruit against the side of the pot with a ladle to release their sourness.
10. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then fish out and discard the batwan skins.
11. Season the broth with the fish sauce and cracked pepper.
12. Taste it and add more batwan or tamarind until the sourness sits clearly above the richness of the pork.
13. Drop in the whole long chillies and the leafy greens.
14. Cook for 2 minutes only, until the greens have just wilted.
15. Ladle into deep bowls, giving everyone a piece of hock, and serve with rice.