German Roasted Ham Hocks (Schweinshaxe)
This dish is particularly popular in Bavaria. Ham hocks and vegetables are braised until tender and then roasted in beer. Use the strained cooking liquid as a sauce.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 2 meaty pork knuckles or ham hocks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable margarine
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons beer
- 1 pinch ground cumin or to taste
Method
Prep:30min ›
Cook:3hr30min ›
Ready in:4hr
- Place the carrot, onion, leek, celery and pork knuckles into a large stock pot. Throw in the peppercorns and season with salt to taste. Add enough water to the pot to cover the vegetables. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 hours or until everything is tender. Remove the knuckles from the water and drain. Reserve vegetables and cooking liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 220 C / Gas 7. Melt the margarine in an enamel coated cast iron baking dish or pan. Place the drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables and about 500ml of the cooking liquid into the pan.
- Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. During the last 10 minutes, sprinkle with beer in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved. Dust lightly with cumin to increase flavour. Serve with potato or white bread dumplings or sauerkraut salad. In Bavaria, the cooking liquid and juices are strained and served as a sauce.
Pork knuckles
You may need to pre-order these from your local butcher. They are also known as ham hocks.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(16)
Reviews in English (12)
Good recipe, but I'd like to suggest making it more authentic by grilling the Hax'n, instead of braising it in a pot. At the Oktoberfest and other large festivals, and in most Gasthäuser in Bayern, you’ll find gegrillte Schweinshax’n on the menu. Grilling the hocks is what makes the skin so crispy (like pork rinds). And you want to make sure they’re fresh, not smoked or cured. I’d also recommend, instead of white wine, which no real Bayer would have with his Hax’n, a good Märzenbier or a Doppelbock. Serve with a Semmelknödel and some Blaukraut, and you’ll have an authentic bairisches Schmankerl. Prost! Brad - 23 Sep 2009 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
This is probably much easier to prepare and eat, than it is to pronounce! I didn't find pig knuckles, by name, so I used the more easily found meaty hocks. Are they the same? To me, cumin does not seem particularly German and a pinch wouldn't add too much flavor, would it? BTW, just how do you pronounce the name? - 21 Oct 2005 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband absolutely LOVED! I used one 2 lb boneless pork knuckle and followed the rest of the recipe as written (well, except I didn't have any leeks...) Thanks so much for sharing. I'll be making this again soon! - 04 Sep 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)