Hocks Braised with Sugar (Pata Estofado)

This is a great Filipino recipe.  Cooking time is pretty extensive.  Preparation is easy, pig hocks need a lot of time to braise to make them tender, so the cooking time takes 3-4 hours and does require you to check to ensure that all the liquid does not completely evaporate.  You will need to replenish to allow for the cooking time.
Dried lily blosssoms can be found at any Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

2-3lbs pig's hocks
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
10 peppercorns
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
2 onions (quartered)
10 cloves garlic (minced)
8 tblsp oil (for frying)
1 cup dried lily blossoms (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat 3tablespoon of the oil.  Add onions and saute for approximately 3-4 minutes.  Add minced garlic and cinnamon stick.  Continue to saute for another 2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and add the rest of the ingredients except for the oil and dried lily blossoms.  Allow hocks to marinade for an hour.  Heat oil a large deep skillet.  When oil is hot, remove hocks, reserve the marinade in the pot.  Fry hocks on each side to brown.  Approximately 5 minutes on each side.  Do not crowd hocks when frying.  Continue until all the hocks have been browned. Move hocks back into the stock pot and place on the oven set at medium-high heat.  Allow to boil, reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking for another 2 1/2 hours.  Check pot occasionally to ensure braising liquid has not evaporated.  If braising liquid is low, add another cup each of water, apple cider vinegar and sugar and a 1/2 cup of soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue with the cooking process. You can increase sugar if you want it a little sweeter.  This dish is more to individual taste.  During the last 30 minutes of the cooking process, add the lily blossoms.  Test the hocks for tenderness by spearing with a fork, meat is tender if fork slides in without any effort.

Pile a scoop of rice into a large bowl.  Ladle sauce, hocks and lily blossoms over the rice and enjoy!