SCHWEINSHAXE

Schweinshaxe (Bavarian Roasted Pork Knuckle)

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

Total Time

3 hrs 15 mins

 

Traditional Bavarian roasted pork knuckle, aka Schweinshaxe. Fork tender, fall of the bone meat with tantalizingly crispy skin. Accompanied by roasted gold potatoes and Doppelbock based gravy. Finger licking required.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Bavarian, German

Keyword: bavarian pork knuckle, hocks, pork knuckles, roasted pork hocks, schweinshaxe, schweinshaxe recipe, schweinshaxe rezept

Servings: 3 servings

Author: CraftBeering

Ingredients

• 3 pork knuckles sometimes referred to as shanks, knuckles are the lower part of the shank
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp pepper
• 1 12 oz Doppelbock substitute with Dunkel, Schwarzbier or Marzen/Oktoberfest
• 2 cups water
• 2 lbs small gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup water
• Optional: 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour if you want to make a gravy

Instructions

1. Wrap the caraway seed, bay leaf and clove in cheese cloth and make a little sachet.
   
2. In a dutch oven or a larger pot with a lid, place the pork knuckles.
   
3. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sachet with aromatics.
   
4. Add the beer and the water.
   
5. Cover with the lid, bring to boil over medium high heat.
6. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium, the knuckles will continue to simmer. Leave for 60 minutes. Check on and move the shanks around once or twice during that time.
7. After one hour, remove the knuckles from the liquid and place in a roasting pan. Let cool off a little bit.
   
8. Discard the aromatics sachet.
9. Score the knuckles with a sharp knife, especially the fattiest parts.
   
10. Optional: With a hand held blender blend the cooled off liquid from the boiled knuckles. Use part as basting liquid for the knuckles and the rest as the base for a gravy.
    
11. Place the roasting pan in a 375°F oven and roast for 2 hrs. You may vary the time depending on the strength of your oven, but 2 hours is average.
    
12. Optional: While roasting the knuckles, baste once or twice with the blended liquid. The skin will get caramelized and become even crispier.
13. While the knuckles are roasting, prepare the gold potatoes.
14. Start by placing them in a large pan, drizzle with the olive oil, add the garlic, salt and pepper and water and coat them well. Let them simmer with a lid on over medium high heat until they begin to feel tender (test with a fork).
15. Once tender, remove the lid and put them in the oven until the skin begins to get slightly crispy. If you are lucky, potatoes and knuckles will be done at the same time. You will be lucky:)
16. Optional: Assuming you made a basting liquid and basted the knuckles, you still have plenty of it left to make a gravy. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a sauce pan, add flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Add the basting liquid slowly and stir as you add it until it is well incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper. You now have gravy.
17. Serve the knuckles with the bone sticking up. Holding the bone with a napkin, use a fork to strip the meat of the bone.