Be still my beating heart!
CalledSchweinshaxe, this slow-roasted German Pork Knuckle comes with a richly-flavoured beer gravy.
Of the many things Germans have perfected, pork roast is right up there.
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Dont let appearances fool you!
Pork Knuckle might not win many beauty pageants (except maybe in the eyes of a Bavarian! )
but one taste is all it takes to fall head over heels for this German classic.
Not the rock-hard and flat sort of crackling where its your teeth more likely to be shattering!
Its the shape of the pork knuckle that makes it hard to get perfect crackling all over.
With Pork Knuckle, the skin is wrapped around the bone and oriented vertically.
This means two things.
Secondly, the skin shrinks as it roasts, causing creases and folds which never turn into good crackling.
So how do you get perfect crispy crackling for Pork Knuckle?
Heres how:
Leave raw Pork Knuckle uncovered in the fridge overnight to let the skin dry out.
;
Use skewers to keep the skin stretched and flat.
This is theGAME CHANGING TIP!Without the skewers, the skin shrinks as it roasts.
This creates crevices and folds, which leads to bad crackling.
Ingredients for Crispy German Pork Knuckle
1.
Pork knuckle
First up, you better get your hands on a pork knuckle.
Here is what it looks like:
Firstly, pork knuckles arenotpigs trotters (feet)!
Despite the name, it is actually the meaty upper part of the pigs leg.
For German Pork Knuckle, we specifically need therearlegknuckles / hocks because they are much bigger and meatier.
Note also that sometimes pork knuckles / hocks are sold brined (salted) aspickled hocksorham hocks.
Lightly brined knucklesmaybe suitable for this recipe, however I have not tested this.
We also do not want smoked hocks.
I recommend you stick to un-brined, raw pork knuckles / hocks.
One pork knuckle (around 1.2 1.3kg / 2.6 2.9lb) is enough to comfortably feed two.
If its a particularly small knuckle, it will feed one very hungry eater!
However, I found it quite easy to get pork knuckle from Asian butchers.
They may have it displayed or stored at the back.
They are good value at around $8/kg ($4/lb)!
Remember: Ask forrear leg hocks / knuckles.And show them the photo above!
Harris Farm);
Garlic Because garlic is always welcome!
Its not a step you see with all pork recipes, but its worth doing as an insurance policy.
It does not make the pork taste vinegary at all.
The base of the gravy is the pan juices remaining after roasting the pork knuckle.
I usedWeihenstephaner Tradition Bayrisch Dunkelwhich is a dark German beer (Bavarian, in fact!)
sold at Dan Murphys in Australia .
Just verify its a proper dark beer else the gravy will lack richness, sweetness and colour.
However, avoid stouts that aretooheavy and bitter, as they can be overwhelming here.
Chicken stock For extra savoury depth in the gravy.
This is fairly traditional in beer gravy for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, it gives the gravy a clearer finish compared to flour, which makes gravies cloudy.
How to make Crispy German Pork Knuckle
This section is a bit lengthy.
Fear not: its actually just information rather than an indication of effort!
In all honesty, once you get to the actualdoingpart, youll realise its actually a very low-effort recipe.
Part 1:Preparation & seasoning
Firstly, preparing the pork and seasoning it!
safety pin, sewing pin).
Around 100 or so.
The more holes you prick, the more crackling bubbles you will end up with and bubbles are good!
No holes = flat and hard crackling = chipped teeth!
Everywhere the meat juices comes into contact with will not go crispy.
Note at this stage we just apply to the flesh.
The skin will be done later during the high heat roasting step when we are crisping up the crackling!
Skewer skin (secret for crispy skin!
): Pull the skin down to stretch it taut so theres no creases.
Then thread through 2 metal skewers near the base of the knuckle in an X shape.
The purpose of this is twofold.
Secondly, to dry out the skin to ensure we get that awesome crispy crackling!
This setup achieves two things.
Win, win, win!
Having a meat thermometer really helps here to achieve the ideal cook time for the flesh.
In short, its best to use a meat thermometer!
I have a Thermapen more on that cool gadgethere.
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If the skin is crispy at this stage, those lovely bubbles cant form and its game over!
Crackling needs a super-hot oven!
Brushing with vinegar doesnt affect the crispiness of the skin.
But we get darn close, and I reckon better than anything Ive seen out there!
Now rest the pork for 15 minutes to allow the juices in the meat to redistribute.
Dont forget that jug of German beer gravy!See below for steps for how to make it.
- There is just no other way to describe how a pork knuckle should be eaten!
And taste, of course!
Mix cornflour and water to make a slurry, then pour into gravy while stirring.
Then just simmer for 2 minutes until it becomes a thin syrup consistency.
See above for adjusting thickness as required.
Pour gravy into a jug and serve alongside the pork knuckle.
The sticky balls make the perfect stodgy vehicle (in a good way!)
for mopping up that delicious gravy!
Well its just got to be everyones favourite cherry-laced German torte,Black Forest Cakehasnt it?
With that, its over to you!
Who can wait until Oktoberfest time to make this amazing roast??
Not me, thats for sure!!
