Bavarian Pork Leg Schweinshaxe Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Rub pork legs with salt and pepper on all sides. Set into a deep-rimmed baking sheet. Pour boiling water on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Add onion, carrot, caraway seeds, and crushed peppercorns.
• Continue to roast until pork leg is cooked through, about 90 minutes more. Baste with liquids from the pork every 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

Steps:

• Wash and dice the leek, celery, carrot and onion.
• Cook pork knuckles, diced vegetables, salt and peppercorns in water to cover 2 to 3 hours or until tender; avoid overcooking.
• Remove from water; drain well reserving vegetables and cooking liquid.
• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Melt fat or shortening in an dutch oven.
• Add drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables and a small amount of cooking liquid.
• Bake 30 minutes, moistening meat frequently with more cooking liquid.
• Just before meat is done, sprinkle with beer or water in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved.
• Add cumin to taste.
• Serve with potato or white bread dumplings or sauerkraut salad.
• Note: In Bavaria, the juices and cooking liquid are strained and served as an accompanying sauce.

Steps:

• wash and pat dry roast.
• mix all dry ingredients together and rub onto roast.
• spread a liberal amount of mustard onto roast.
• heat oil in a heavy roasting pan (enameled cast iron works well) on top of stove and brown carrots and leeks.
• push vegetables aside and brown roast from all sides in the very very hot roasting pan.
• ad onions INCLUDING the brown skins (this is VERY IMPORTANT since it will give your gravy an good color).
• ad broth and transfer everything to the oven.
• roast covered for 1 1/2 hours at 350°F.
• uncover, stir onions and veggies.
• turn roast over and roast uncovered for 1 hour (if liquid evaporates a lot, add some more occasionally.
• once roasting time has finished transfer meat to a plate to rest.
• take a basting brush, dip into the hot liquid and scrub all the sides of the roasting pan (and the lid if necessary). All the brown stains on the walls of your pan will ad flavor and color to your sauce!
• strain all the liquid through a fine meshed strainer (stainless steel will work better then the plastic ones). Press solids vigorously with a spoon to press as much liquid (as well all solids that can get pressed through) through the strainer into a sauce pan and reduce slightly on high heat.
• Slice roast into 1/2 thick slices and pour gravy liberally over everthing.
• Best served with potato dumplings and sauerkraut.

Steps:

• Place the carrot, onion, leek, celery, and pork knuckles into a large stockpot. 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 425 degrees F ( 220 degrees C). Melt the shortening in an enamel coated cast iron baking dish or pan. Place the drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables, and about 2 cups of the cooking liquid into the pan.
• Bake 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 flavor. Serve with potato or white bread dumplings, or sauerkraut salad. In Bavaria, the cooking liquid and juices are strained, and served as an accompanying sauce.