Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle)

[gboss]

This is really a fantastic dish and a must try if in Germany.

roasted pork knuckle. Edit: this one was purchased and eaten in Dusseldorf.

Does anyone have a recipe for cooking this at home that they like? Any pointers?

[bbqLuv]

OK--
What is Schweinshaxe? The German Pork Knuckle (absolutemunich.com)
Schweinshaxe is a traditional German dish of roasted pork knuckle. Here are the ingredients and steps for smoking Schweinshaxe:
Ingredients:

• 2 pork knuckles (about 6 lb/3 kg in total)
• 2 onions (peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and halved)
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or meat broth)
• 2 cups Bavarian white beer (or dark beer)
• Salt

Steps:

1. Preheat your smoker to an ambient temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Rinse and pat dry the pork knuckles with a paper towel.
3. In a skillet, lightly toast the white peppercorns and caraway seeds just until they become fragrant (toast separately).
4. Put toasted peppercorns and caraway seeds into a spice grinder and coarsely grind.
5. In a separate bowl, mix peppercorns and caraway seeds with the remaining dry ingredients.
6. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork knuckles.
7. Place the pork knuckles in an oven bag with onions, garlic, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, caraway seeds, juniper berries, rosemary sprig, vegetable broth, Bavarian white beer, and salt.
8. Seal the bag tightly and place it in the smoker.
9. smoke to an internal temperature of 20-205Steps:
10. Preheat your smoker to an ambient temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Rinse and pat dry the pork knuckles with a paper towel.
12. In a skillet, lightly toast the white peppercorns and caraway seeds just until they become fragrant (toast separately).
13. Put toasted peppercorns and caraway seeds into a spice grinder and coarsely grind.
14. In a separate bowl, mix peppercorns and caraway seeds with the remaining dry ingredients.
15. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork knuckles.
16. Place the pork knuckles in an oven bag with onions, garlic, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, caraway seeds, juniper berries, rosemary sprig, vegetable broth, Bavarian white beer, and salt.
17. Seal the bag tightly and place it in the smoker.
18. Smoke to an internal temperature of 200-2005° F

Pair with PBR or a good German Beer

[Troutman]

Are you gboss 's editor and secretary????

[bbqLuv]

No, I BBQ for retirement. In answer to Troutman

[texastweeter]

Yes, but I use a pressure cooker. Cook it similar to venison shanks.

[barelfly]

I have some German relatives in town for a few weeks. I’ll ask them if they have recipe that I can share with you.

[bbqLuv]

That sounds very interesting indeed. Pics and recipes if you will. Thank you in advance.

[STEbbq]

I also love this food. I have had it in Prague and Munich and it was excellent both times. I have never tried to make it, though I probably should, mainly because i wasn’t quite sure where to find a high-quality pork knuckle. I do know there are differences between the German and Czech versions but I have to look up what they are.

https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/pork-knuckle-recipe/

[STEbbq]

Now I think about it, maybe I should ask that new butcher in town to find me that pork knuckle for the annual pork dish for me cook.

[STEbbq]

I found my pic from Munich:

Munich

Some other good threads:

Potkettleblack

sous vide pork knuckle

Henrik

classic

CowboyScott

[Potkettleblack]

I gotta make that again. I think I could hang it in the barrel

[HawkerXP]

You can get it right here in the states if you live near one.

Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München - Wikipedia

[HawkerXP]

I always hit the one across the river from Cincinnati when I'm at training and I usually get the pork shank. Go early because they run out.

[JuergenQ]

Bavarian knuckle of pork: preparation
Rinse the pork briefly under running water.
Lay the wet meat on two layers of kitchen paper and pat dry on all sides.
Now you have to cut the rind of the knuckle. To do this, use a cutter. Even if you have a sharp kitchen knife, the thick rind quickly dulls the cutting edge. And you have to struggle a lot towards the end of the work. The cutter (= wallpaper knife or carpet knife) usually has blades that can be broken off. If the front end of the blade has become blunt, simply break it off and continue cutting with the next sharp piece of blade.
First cut the rind from top to bottom at a distance of about 4 centimeters to create a stripe pattern. Then cut horizontal stripes, also at a distance of 4 centimeters and get the diamond design in this way. The diamonds have the advantage over the stripes that the crispy layer is easier to eat afterwards. It's already broken up into bite-sized pieces.
Now mix salt and pepper together and rub the pork knuckle thoroughly with the spice mixture on all sides.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Once the oven has reached the set temperature, place the shank on the broiler.
Slide the roasting rack onto the middle shelf in the oven.
Then fill the baking tray with water and slide it onto the bottom rail of the roasting oven.
It takes about 2.5 hours for the pork knuckle to cook. Depending on the size of the knuckle, the roasting time may increase or decrease slightly. However, if you roast the knuckles too short, the meat will not easily come off the bone afterwards.
Brush the pork knuckle with water from time to time while it is roasting or, if you like it spicier, with dark beer.
About half an hour before the end of the roasting time (i.e. after two hours), increase the roasting heat from 180 to 200 degrees. This makes the rind nice and crispy.


I hope that help. This is usually done in an oven, but simply to translate for grillIng. Don't use a smoker the skin will be like rubber. The alternative method is to cook the "Haxn" before, it shortens the grilling period. But this isn't globally Bavarian style.

Best regards from Bavaria Jürgen

[Henrik]

Great tips, this procedure is how I cook it too. But I have to object to the "Don't use a smoker". Temp is temp, meaning if I cook it in the smoker at 180 deg C it will be the same as in the oven at 180 deg C. I do cook mine in the smoker, and the skin is always crispy.

[SonOfAButcher]

I spent 3 years in Amberg, Germany... I had that dish several times..Wonderful.

[Bkhuna]

We have a very good German restaurant about an hour from here. This is what I usually order when we go there. I figure "go big or go home".

[ecowper]

If you are still looking for a recipe, here’s one from Schaller & Weber, which is the definitive German food source in NYC ….. although clearly JuergenQ has provided an absolutely authentic recipe.

https://schallerweber.com/recipes/Oktober-Schweinshaxe/