Step 1

Start by boiling the pork knuckle in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil first, then add the knuckle.

Step 2

Season the water with a large onion, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns, 5 allspice corns and 4-5 bay leaves.

Step 3

Simmer on low heat for 60-90 minutes, based on how large the pork knuckle is.

Step 4

Once the knuckle becomes tender, transfer it to a deep baking dish. Use a sharp knife to make cuts into the skin, do not cut into the meat itself.

Step 5

Prepare a marinade by mixing 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 1-2 crushed garlic cloves. Brush the pork knuckle with the marinade from all sides, including the cuts.

Step 6

Roughly cut 2 onions and 3 garlic cloves and add them to the dish. Pour in a pint of dark beer and 2-3 ladles of the broth we made while boiling the knuckle.

Step 7

Add 3 stalks of rosemary to get some aroma in.

Step 8

Start baking the pork knuckle at 150C / 300F. This large knuckle will take about 2 hours to bake fully. Keep basting the meat with the juices at least every 30 minutes.

Step 9

Flip the pork knuckle after one hour to make sure it bakes evenly from all sides.

Step 10

For the final 30 minutes, turn the knuckle skin side up again and increase the oven temperature to 250C / 475F to make the skin nice and crisp.

Step 11

Once the skin becomes deep golden brown and lightly charred, we are done.

Step 12

Serve with bread, horseradish, pickles, mustard and spicy peppers.