pork knuckle

Recipe video above. Realistically, one knuckle will serve 2. But for wow factor, serve one per person!!!While producing tender Pork Knuckle flesh is straightforward enough, very few recipes truly nail the crispy crackling. So here is a recipe that finally does! The skin is crispy all over and fabulously bubbly, shattering into a thousand porky shards when you bite instead of breaking your teeth on hard, leathery patches!Meanwhile, the flesh is seasoned with traditional flavourings and the Pork Knuckle is served with an authentic, dark and malty German beer gravy. It&#039;s every carnivore&#039;s dream come true!

German Pork Knuckle (Schweinshaxe) - Slow Roasted with Crispy crackling!

x 1.25kg / 2.5lb pork knuckle ((Note 1))

tbsp white vinegar ((Note 2))

garlic (,

salt

tsp black pepper

tsp juniper berries ((Note 5))

tsp caraway seeds

fennel seeds

dark German beer ((Note 6))

chicken stock / broth (, low sodium)

carrot (, unpeeled, sliced 2cm / 0.8" thick)

onion (, unpeeled, halved,

garlic (, cut in two halves horizontally)

juniper berries ((Note 5))

bay leaves (, preferably fresh otherwise dried)

tsp cornflour/cornstarch

water

tsp white sugar

Prick skin: Poke lots of small holes all over the pork knuckle’s skin, using a small sharp knife or even a pin (eg. safety pin, sewing pin). Take care not to pierce through the fat into the flesh (Note 7).

Vinegar: Brush (or rub) 1 tbsp of the vinegar on the pork flesh only, including inside cracks / crevices and meat under the skin where it meets the flesh (but do not peel skin back). Avoid getting vinegar on the skin.

Stud with garlic: Make shallow incisions in the pork flesh (only) with a small knife then stuff with the garlic slivers.

Seasoning rub: Pound the rub ingredients in a mortar and pestle until it&#039;s a coarse powder (or use a Nutribullet, spice grinder or similar).

Rub seasoning on pork: Rub pork skin with olive oil. Then rub the seasoning mix all over the pork – on the flesh, skin, and getting into all the cracks and crevices.

Skewer skin (secret for crispy skin! Note 8): Pull the skin down to stretch it tight so there&#039;s no creases. Then thread through 2 metal skewers in a &quot;X&quot; formation near the base of the knuckle. Pierce through skin 2cm / 0.8&quot; from the base of the pork knuckle to hold the stretched skin in place.

&quot;Marinate&quot; overnight: Place pork standing on a plate, then leave uncovered in the fridge overnight (Note 9).

Preparation and seasoning:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).

Beer gravy: Put all beer gravy ingredients in a roasting pan (deep enough to hold all liquids and vegetables).

Rack on pan: Place a rack over the pan. Place pork knuckle on rack, sitting upright. (Note 10)

Slow roast: Roast for 2 hours 10 minutes, rotating tray half way. (If the liquid in the pan is getting too low and in danger of drying out, top with 1/2 cup of water at a time.) Roast until the internal temperature in the thickest part of meat reaches 85°C / 185°F.

Slow-roasting:

Remove knuckle from oven, transfer knuckle to a tray.

Increase oven: Increase oven to 260°C / 500°F (240°C fan) (Note 11)

Brush skin with vinegar: Brush skin with 1/2 the remaining 1 tbsp of vinegar. Place in oven for 30 minutes, rotating tray halfway and brushing with remaining vinegar.

Skin should be crispy, dip golden and mostly bubbly.

Rest: Rest 15 minutes before serving with German Beer Gravy!

Make crispy Pork Knuckle crackling!

Strain liquid: Strain roasting pan juices into a saucepan. Ideally you should have around 1.5 - 2 cups.

Thicken: Bring liquid to a simmer. Mix cornflour and water, then pour into liquid while stirring. Add sugar and salt to taste.

Simmer: Simmer for 2 minutes or until it becomes a thin syrup consistency (German beer gravy should not be as thick as normal gravy, but quite runny). If it&#039;s too thick, add a touch of water. Too thin, simmer to reduce - it will thicken. Serve with pork knuckle!

German beer gravy:

This pork knuckle us crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside. Roasted pork knuckle is a German delicacy that&#39;s easy to prepare and goes really well with a glass of cold beer.

Pork Knuckle - German Style Recipe

onions

garlic

bay leaves

caraway seeds

black peppercorns

allspice corns

olive oil

black pepper

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Add 3 stalks of rosemary to get some aroma in.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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