Bavarian Schweinshaxe (Schweinshaxe) — Crispy Roasted Pork Knuckle

• 4skin-on pork knuckles (hind hocks, 850-950 g each; about 3.6 kg total)
• 28 gkosher salt
• 2 tspcaraway seeds
• 2 tspblack peppercorns (coarsely crushed)
• 2 tspdried marjoram
• 25 glard
• 2yellow onions (quartered)
• 2large carrots (cut into 4 cm chunks)
• 1leek (white and light green parts, sliced and rinsed)
• 4 clovegarlic (lightly crushed)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 8juniper berries (lightly crushed)
• 500 mlGerman dark lager
• 500 mllow-sodium pork broth
• 250 mlwater
• 2 tspcornstarch
• 2 tbspcold water
• 80 gBavarian sweet mustard

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the pork knuckles completely dry with paper towels, especially the rind. Using a very sharp knife, score the skin in 1 cm diamonds without cutting deeply into the meat.

2. 2

   Mix the kosher salt, caraway seeds, crushed black peppercorns, and dried marjoram in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the pork knuckles, working it into the scored skin, then refrigerate the hocks uncovered for 8 to 24 hours to dry the rind.

3. 3

   Remove the pork knuckles from the refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting so the chill comes off the meat. Heat the oven to 160°C and place a rack in the lower-middle position.

4. 4

   Melt the lard in a large roasting pan over medium heat, then add the onions, carrots, leek, garlic, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring twice, until the vegetables begin to brown and smell sweet.

5. 5

   Pour the German dark lager, pork broth, and 250 ml water into the roasting pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Set the pork knuckles upright or on their sides above the vegetables, keeping as much skin as possible exposed above the liquid.

6. 6

   Roast for 2 hours and 15 minutes, basting the meat, not the top of the rind, with pan juices every 30 minutes. Turn the hocks once halfway through cooking, and add 150 ml hot water only if the pan becomes nearly dry.

7. 7

   Increase the oven temperature to 230°C and roast for 25 to 35 minutes more, rotating the pan once for even blistering. The Schweinshaxe is ready when the crackling is deeply browned and crisp, and the meat near the bone registers 88-92°C.

8. 8

   Transfer the pork knuckles to a warm platter and rest them for 15 minutes while you make the sauce. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, skim off excess fat, simmer for 8 minutes, then whisk in the cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and cook for 2 minutes until lightly thickened.

9. 9

   Serve one pork knuckle per person with the hot pan sauce and 20 g Bavarian sweet mustard per serving. For the most traditional plate, add potato knödel, sauerkraut, and a kartoffel side such as warm potato salad.