INGREDIENTS:
| 2 pounds pork hocks or butt, cut up 1-1/4 cups water 2 bay leaves 1 star anise 1 pound green beans, sliced diagonally 2” long 1 tbsp. cornstarch in 1 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. oil 2 ripe plantain or saba bananas | Marinade: 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. vinegar 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. salt 1/4 pepper |
DIRECTION:
- In a saucepan, combine marinade ingredients (garlic, tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper), marinate pork hocks in mixture for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Transfer pork hocks to a roasting pan. Set marinade aside. Roast hocks until golden, about 1 hour, turning them over after 30 minutes to roast the other side.
- Return roasted hocks to marinade in saucepan. Add 1-1/4 cups water to roasting pan and deglaze, scrapping bits from the bottom, add to marinade.
- Lower heat to low, add bay leaves and anise, simmer for 30 minutes until pork hocks are tender. Add green beans last 15 minutes, then add cornstarch mixture. Stir until thick, about 5 minutes.
- Peel very ripe plantain or saba, cut in half lengthwise, cute each half into three. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a nonstick fry pan, fry the pieces, in a single layer, until golden on each side, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer pork hocks to serving dish and arrange fried plantain or saba bananas around the dish. Pour sauce over meat. Instead of plantain or saba bananas, fried slices of potatoes or sweet potatoes may be used.
Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
