German: Schweinshaxe (Crispy Pork Knuckle)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 1-2)

Ingredients:

• 1 large pork knuckle (2-3 lbs, hind knuckle preferred)
• Water for blanching
• 1-2 bottles of dark beer (i.e. Kostritzer Schwarzbier)
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries (optional)
• 4 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Drizzle of Kitchen Bouquet for color
• Cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup of cold water, optional)
• Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme (optional)
• Cauliflower mash (boiled cauliflower mashed in a blender, optional)

Procedure:

1. Add pork knuckle to soup pot, add water to cover, blanch for 5 minutes, drain, pat dry
2. Add enough beer to cover about half of the pork knuckle (about 1-2 bottles), then add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds
3. Cover pot and bring to boil; turn down heat and simmer for 3 hours (flip knuckle every 30 minutes)
4. Or: transfer contents of pot to a pressure cooker and cook for 45 minutes until pork knuckle is almost falling apart
5. When the pork knuckle is cooked, transfer the meat to a roasting rack; place rack inside a deep baking dish
6. Transfer cooking broth to the baking dish (but do not let the roast touch the broth)
7. Preheat oven to 550°F
8. Prepare the pork for roasting: poke lots of small holes all over the pork’s skin using a small, sharp knife or a safety pin (tip: avoid piercing the flesh)
9. Skewer the pork with 2 metal skewers (or wood skewers soaked in water for an hour): stretch skin taut so there’s no creases, then thread through 2 skewers near the base of the knuckle in an “X” shape (get as close to the bone as possible)
10. Roast the pork uncovered for about 20-30 minutes until brown and crackling (baste the skin at least once)
11. When the skin is extra crispy, remove from oven and let rest for for 15 minutes
12. Strain the cooking broth, skim off the fat, set aside
13. Make the gravy: in a sauce pan, saute minced garlic in olive oil briefly, then add 2 cups of the strained cooking broth, boil under high heat to reduce it into a thick broth
14. Thicken sauce more (if needed): add corn starch slurry a little at a time
15. Adjust the seasoning: taste and add honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper (if needed); add Kitchen Bouquet for color
16. To serve: ladle sauce onto serving plate, place pork hock on top of sauce, garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs (if desired)
17. Serve with cauliflower mash (optional)