Schweinshaxe Food

SCHWEINSHAXE

Steps:

• Place the carrot, onion, leek, celery, and pork knuckles into a large stockpot. Throw in the peppercorns, and season with salt to taste. Add enough water to the pot to cover the vegetables. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until everything is tender. Remove the knuckles from the water, and drain. Reserve vegetables and cooking liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F ( 220 degrees C). Melt the shortening in an enamel coated cast iron baking dish or pan. Place the drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables, and about 2 cups of the cooking liquid into the pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. During the last 10 minutes, sprinkle with beer in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved. Dust lightly with cumin to increase flavor. Serve with potato or white bread dumplings, or sauerkraut salad. In Bavaria, the cooking liquid and juices are strained, and served as an accompanying sauce.

SCHWEINSHAXE

Steps:

• Preheat the convection oven to 250 F (120°C).
• Using a mortar and pestle, crush the onions, garlic, cumin seeds, and peppercorns.
• Using a knife, cut the skin of the pork knuckles crosswise to obtain a crispy crust when cooked.
• Rub the meat with the crushed spice and aromatic mixture, along with the caraway, juniper berries, rosemary, and salt, and place in a deep baking dish.
• Pour over the broth and beer.
• Bake for 2h15, basting regularly with the sauce to prevent the meat from drying out.
• At the end of the cooking, put the oven in grill position and increase the temperature to 450 F (230°C).
• Grill for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning the meat occasionally until a nice crust forms.
• Take the meat out of the oven and let the meat rest, placing it under aluminum foil or in a large oven bag to keep it warm.
• Then filter the sauce and, if necessary, reduce it in a saucepan.
• Place the meat on a hot dish and do not cut it until the last moment.
• Serve with rotkraut (red cabbage) or sauerkraut (white cabbage) and semmelknödel (bread dumplings) and/or kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings), or a coleslaw and/or potato salad.

SCHWEINSHAXE (GERMAN PORK KNUCKLE)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish.
• Rub the skin of each pork hock with half of a garlic clove. After rubbing, add the garlic to the onions in the baking dish. Rub roughly 1/2 Tbsp of salt into the skin of each pork hock. Nestle the hocks, meaty side down, in the onions.
• Pour the beer around the hocks.
• Roast the hocks in the preheated oven for 3 hours, until the skin is crisp and the meat is fall-apart tender. (Check the hocks ever hour to be sure they haven't fallen over and there is still enough moisture in the bottom of the pan. Add hot water if the pan seems to be scorching.)
• Each hock is traditionally served individually, with a fork and sharp knife, but most people find it easier to enjoy the crisp skin by just digging in with their hands.
• Serve with boiled potatoes, potato dumplings, or spaetzle, and braised red cabbage or sauerkraut. (And don't forget the onions from the baking dish!)

SCHWEINSHAXE (GERMAN HAM HOCK)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
• Rinse the hocks and pat dry.
• Cut the fatty skin diagonally in both directions so that you have a diamond pattern. Season with pepper, salt and paprika.
• Heat the lard in a dutch oven and brown the hocks for approx 10 mins on all sides (quite hot).
• Peel and quarter the onion and add to the pot, add the bay leaf, juniper berries, cloves and mustard grains.
• Pour in 1/8 quart of boiling water and place the pot in the middle of the oven.
• The hocks will need approx 1 1/2 - 2hrs, depending on size, baste with beer from time to time and if required add a little water.
• Remove the hock from the pot and using beer and water make sure you scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Thicken using a cornstarch/water paste and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with sauerkraut and knoedel or mashed potatoes.

SCHWEINSHAXE (PORK KNUCKLES)

Steps:

• Slash the fat (skin) with a sharp knife (or get the butcher to do it for you).
• Rub salt into the skin and into the slits.
• Place in a roasting tin with a cup or 2 of water.
• Roast in oven at 200°F/220F for 3 hours.
• Every half hour turn over the knuckles and make sure the water does not evaporate. Replenish as necessary.
• Chop the onion in 6 lengthwise.
• At the last turn break up onion a little and drop into the roasting tin.
• Remove knuckles from oven and allow stand for 10/15 minutes.
• Place liquid in a separator and remove excess fat. Use remaining liquid to make required quantity of gravy, adding the cooked onions.
• Serve with sauerkraut and semmel (bread) knodel for a traditional meal or with boiled cabbage a a large roast potato per person for a simpler finish.

BAVARIAN PORK LEG (SCHWEINSHAXE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Rub pork legs with salt and pepper on all sides. Set into a deep-rimmed baking sheet. Pour boiling water on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Add onion, carrot, caraway seeds, and crushed peppercorns.
• Continue to roast until pork leg is cooked through, about 90 minutes more. Baste with liquids from the pork every 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).