Schweinshaxe (German Pork Knuckle)

Bavarian roast pork knuckle with a shatteringly crisp crackling and a beer gravy.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3h
Total: 3 hours 30 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 2 pork knuckles (hocks), about 1kg each, skin scored (order from your butcher)
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 500ml dark German beer (Dunkel)
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Place the knuckles in a deep roasting tin and rub with the garlic, caraway, salt and pepper, working salt into the scores in the skin.

  2. Add the onions, carrots and celery and pour in half the beer and half the stock.

  3. Roast for 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices and topping up the liquid.

  4. Increase the oven to 230°C (210°C fan), pour over the remaining beer and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin has blistered and crackled. Check frequently to avoid burning.

  5. Rest the knuckles for 10 minutes. Strain the juices into a pan with the remaining stock, boil for 8 minutes, then thicken with the cornflour mixture.

  6. Serve with the gravy, sauerkraut and potato dumplings.