Citizens! As a globe-trotting revolutionary – the Potentate of Peregrination, YOUR TFD! – I have been privileged to spend the last week in Germany, especially enjoying the beautiful city of Munich! While there, I had the opportunity to enjoy a classic Bavarian recipe – braised pigs trotters in beer sauce, aka Schweinshaxe mit Biersoße. It is rich, porcine and totally delicious – if you’ve never had the opportunity to try pigs trotters (sometimes referred to as the knuckle), you are in for a real treat!
Schweinshaxe in German cuisine is a roasted ham hock (or “pork knuckle”). The ham hock is the end of the pig’s leg, just above the ankle and below the meaty ham portion. It is especially popular in Bavaria as Schweinshaxn or Sauhax. A variation of this dish is known in parts of Germany as Eisbein, in which the ham hock is pickled and usually slightly boiled.
Schweinshaxe is one of the formerly typical peasant foods, in which recipes were composed to make inexpensive and tough cuts of meat more palatable (as demonstrated for beef with the popular Sauerbraten). Such inexpensive cuts usually require long periods of preparation. The meat is sometimes marinated for days, and in the case of big cuts up to a week. The Schweinshaxe is then roasted at low temperatures, typically—depending on size—for two to three hours. The most popular side dishes are potatoes and cabbage variations.
As noted on kitchenproject.com in this lightly-edited excerpt:
This historically peasant like food has become one of the most celebrated foods of Germany that has become a quinessential part of Oktoberfest in Germany. For good reason it is a fun, and incredible presentation – at the 2014 Munich Oktoberfest, they sold over 80,259 Schweinshaxe!
In Northern Germany this Pork Hock is called Eisbein, which means ‘Ice Bone’. The Hock is white so looks like snow. It also is prepared during the cold months. It is then brined in salt, water and a Pickling salt called “Prague Powder” and some spices for a few days to a few weeks. Then simmered on water with spices and served right out of the pot or you can crisp up the skin.
The Austrian version of this dish is called Stelze. It is usually marinated or pre-boiled in a caraway seed and garlic brine, roasted until the skin is crisp, and served with mustard, horseradish, and pickled chili peppers. The Bavarian version is classically served with potato dumplings and red cabbage, or with sauerkraut and potatoes.
I have heartily adopted a touch of the Austrian version in my recipe, both because I love the flavor profiles it offers as well as the fact Austria is literally right over the border from Munich.
The pork is obviously central to this dish, so be sure you use only the finest pig trotters – and these are it! As to hot German mustard, I greatly prefer this brand, but any very strong mustard will work. Kitchen Bouquet is a secret weapon of many chefs to achieve proper color and flavor of dark sauces and gravies – you can buy it here.
Citizens, I will continue to return to Europe very frequently in the next few months (including Germany!) and for this I am profoundly grateful, as I love the countries here and it gives me a great rationale to share the local recipes with you, in situ! 😀 I might suggest finishing off this delectable main dish with a classic German dessert. Do not be intimidated by the unusual cut or the fact that this is a LOT of divine swine to polish off – trust me, both you and your guests will easily and happily rise to the occasion!
Battle on – the Generalissimo
The Hirshon Bavarian Braised Pig Knuckle in Beer Sauce – Schweinshaxe mit Biersoße
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- Braised knuckle:
- 6 1/4 lb. weight of pork knuckle(s), sometimes referred to as shanks – knuckles are the lower part of the shank
- 4 Tbsp. strong German mustard
- 1/2 tsp cumin, powdered in a spice grinder
- 1 Tbsp. cracked caraway seeds
- 1 Tbsp. pressed garlic
- 5 pinches of freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
- ***
- For gravy:
- 1 bundle Bavarian Suppengemüse – Tie all together with kitchen twine: 2 carrots, 2 stalks very leafy celery, 1 leek, halved, a parsley root (optional but strongly preferred), 1 small bunch parsley, 1 sprig fresh marjoram and 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Spice sachet tied up in cheesecloth, made from: 1 tbsp caraway seeds, 3 bay leaves, 4 cloves
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 liter roasted beef stock
- 1/2 liter pilsner beer
- A medium-dark roux made of equal parts flour and butter
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds, powdered in a spice grinder (TFD addition, optional)
- 3 cloves roasted garlic (TFD addition, optional)
- Kitchen Bouquet, as needed for proper dark color
- ***
- Garnish with 1 bunch snipped chives
- Additional strong mustard and creamed horseradish
- 4 heads roasted garlic
Instructions
- On the day before preparation, wash the knuckle(s) thoroughly and pat dry. Cut the rind of each crosswise several times with a sharp knife. Put the washed, patted knuckle(s) into a large freezer bag and knot/seal it tightly closed. Then, massage the knuckle(s) with the marinade thoroughly and put the knuckle in the fridge overnight.
- Place the pork knuckle(s) (with the marinade solids) in a large dutch oven or a larger pot with a lid. Add the onion, garlic, the vegetable/herb bundle, salt and pepper plus the spice sachet. Add the beer and the stock.
- Cover with the lid, bring to boil over medium-high heat.
- Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium – the knuckle(s) will continue to simmer. Leave for 60 minutes.
- Check on and move them around once or twice during that time.
- After one hour, remove the knuckle(s) from the liquid and place in a lightly-oiled roasting pan.
- Discard the aromatics sachet. Untie soup vegetable/herb bundle, discard twine but return the veggies and herbs to the pot.
- With an an immersion blender, blend the cooled-off liquid from the boiled knuckles along with the roasted garlic cloves and vegetable/herbs. Use part of this as basting liquid for the knuckles and the rest as the base for a gravy.
- Place the roasting pan in a 375°F oven and roast for 2 hours. You may vary the time depending on the strength of your oven, but 2 hours is average.
- While roasting the knuckle(s), baste a few times with the blended liquid and every 10 minutes with dark beer. The skin will become caramelized and become quite crispy.
- The roast is done when the meat can be easily removed from the bone. Take the knuckle(s) out of the saucepan and keep warm.
- Season the reserved sauce from the blended stock and vegetable, add some roux, the roasted garlic cloves (crushed to a paste), and season with freshly-ground caraway to taste.
- Heat over medium heat and stir until thickened into a delicious gravy – use Kitchen Bouquet as needed to achieve the proper color.
- Arrange the knuckle(s) with gravy on large, preheated plates.
- Place the casserole dish on a surface on the table and sprinkle with chives. Everyone serves themselves. Additional mustard and creamed horseradish should be made lavishly available to all. Provide a head of roasted garlic, or at minimum several cloves, to each diner.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Category: Recipes
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