Schweinshaxe (German Pork Knuckle)
Schweinshaxe (pronounced SH-vines-HAKS-eh), is a German dish particularly popular in Bavaria, the home of Oktoberfest.
That alone is enough to make it an Oktoberfest staple.
Add in the fact that it's a combination of tender, juicy pork and crispy, salty skin. You have yourself Oktoberfest pairing heaven.
What Is a Pork Knuckle?
Schweinshaxe starts with a cut of pork you're probably not too familiar with: the knuckle.
Yes, pigs have knuckles too.
While pork knuckle might sound a bit unappealing, Schweinshaxe, now that just sounds like a fun culinary feat to master.
The bone-in hunk of pork leg is quite impressive, I'm not going to lie.
But it can be a bit intimidating.
Even though each pork knuckle is only enough to feed one person, it just doesn't look like anything that you would typically venture to cook.
But that's about to change.
Where To Find Pork Knuckle
You'll probably find pork knuckles in your grocery store's meat section labeled as a "pork hock".
Hock or knuckle, you're getting the part of the pig that is the joint between the foot and shank.
It's a stubby piece of meat, covered in a thick layer of skin and fat.
And, while there isn't a lot of meat on each hock (knuckle), there is a TON of skin.
Once rubbed in salt and roasted, this skin gets super crispy and delicious. So, delicious, it has its own name.
It's known as crackling, and it's pretty much the main reason for diving into a pork knuckle.
How To Cook Schweinshaxe
As far as cooking goes, the process could not be any more simple.
First, you rub the hock with a garlic clove and salt.
The seasoned knuckle gets placed into a baking dish filled with sliced onions and beer.
Then, you pop it in the oven and forget about it for 3 hours, while the oven's heat works its magic.
Or, you can try to forget about it.
Because, let's face it, as the aroma of beer, onions, and roasted pork fills your kitchen, there will be little else you can think of.
By the time the oven's buzzer rings, the excitement for that crispy pork skin is barely containable.
Just don't forget to pour yourself a big stein of beer before chowing down.
What Beer To Serve With Pork Knuckle?
Honestly, any full flavored (preferably German) beer will do for pairing with this juicy, tender, fall-apart meat and crunchy, salty skin.
But, if you're looking for a really stellar pairing, then read on. Our friend and beer connoisseur Bryan calls for a lighter beer with loads of flavor, like a Berliner Weisse:
With a crystal-clear pale-golden hue, New Glarus' Berliner Weisse is a treat for the eye and the tongue. It welcomes you with aromas of lemon, citrus and a touch of wheat. This beer cleanses the palate beautifully, goes down easily, and the light effervescence cuts through the fatty flavors of the juicy pork.
If you don't happen to be in Wisconsin to get your hands on this New Glarus beer, don't worry, just look for a Gose beer (pronounced GOSE-uh), sour beer, or any other Berliner Weisse.
What to serve with Schweinshaxe
If you're cooking a pork knuckle, you may as well go all out!
Serve your Schweinhaxe the Bavarian way with potato dumplings, spaetzel, or boiled potatoes and braised red cabbage or sauerkraut.
Schweinshaxe (German Pork Knuckle)
Schweinshaxe, or tender and juicy pork knuckle wrapped in a salty and roasted-crisp skin, is the quintessential Oktoberfest feast, perfect for pairing with a big stein of your favorite beer.
Ingredients
- 3 onions, sliced
- 4 pork hocks (knuckles), look for the meatiest ones you can find
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 tablespoon salt (we like to use a coarse grain)
- 12 oz beer (any beer will do)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish.
- Rub the skin of each pork hock with half of a garlic clove. After rubbing, add the garlic to the onions in the baking dish. Rub roughly ½ tablespoon of salt into the skin of each pork hock. Nestle the hocks, meaty side down, in the onions.
- Pour the beer around the hocks.
- Roast the hocks in the preheated oven for 3 hours, until the skin is crisp and the meat is fall-apart tender. (Check the hocks ever hour to be sure they haven't fallen over and there is still enough moisture in the bottom of the pan. Add hot water if the pan seems to be scorching.)
- Each hock is traditionally served individually, with a fork and sharp knife, but most people find it easier to enjoy the crisp skin by just digging in with their hands.
- Serve with boiled potatoes, potato dumplings, or spaetzle, and braised red cabbage or sauerkraut. (And don't forget the onions from the baking dish!)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 knuckleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 274
We've updated our pictures since we first shared this recipe on Curious Cuisiniere, but we've left some originals here, in case you've found us in the past and are looking for that old, familiar image.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Where can i bestellen for pork knuckle? Greetings
Hi Emmanuel. Talk to your butcher at your local grocery store, or if you can find a stand alone butcher shop, either should be able to get them for you.
Hi, trying this recipe and it smells so amazing...its been almost 3 hours, and the pork feels tough.....will keep you posted, I’m nervous, been craving this for months
The outside will be hard, but the meat should be juicy and tender. Hope you enjoyed them!
Ok, hard question. I am dying to try and make this dish but I am allergic to beer specifically hops. Is there another drink/ ingredient I can use for the same or similar effect?
Regards,
Lea
Good question Lea. You could really do this technique using stock instead (chicken or veggie would probably be my preference, or pork if you have it). It will give a slightly different flavor than the beer, but you should still get the effect of the crispy skin and tender pork. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out for you!
Amazing! Served with sweet potato salad and fennel coleslaw!
Delicious meal! Glad you enjoyed them!
Made it ,it was wonderful ; thanks for the recipe . From Timmins, Ontario,Canada.
Glad you enjoyed it Philip!
I've got a Schweinshaxe - can they be cooked in a low cooker?
Hi David. Yes, you can cook the schweinshaxe in a slow cooker. However, done that way you will not get the crispy, crackly skin like you do when roasting.
Does anyone know where one in "the states" can find a a large knuckle? Retired from the Army and lived inDeutscheland
six years. That is the best meal in the world. Munich and October Fest!
Hi Tim. Finding large knuckles can be tricky in the States. Try talking to your butcher. If the butcher at your local grocery store isn't much help, then find a small stand-alone butcher. They should be able to help. Hope you find some!
The Alpine Wurst Deli & Restaurant, Honesdale PA - I was reluctant to try one, but so glad I did! They sell Scheinshaxe cooked or uncooked. The Alpine Wurst and Meat House | 1106 Texas Palmyra Highway, Honesdale, PA 18431 570-253-5899
Your best bet would be to drive out into the country and find a pork distributor. Don't bother trying to explain what it is you're trying to make. Just tell them you need the hock side of a fresh ham cut in half.
@David Weidner, we have been there and the knuckles and rest of food is delicious!!!!
@Tim,
I've had a terrible time trying to get this but can help you. Where I live there's a local pork butcher that sells half hams. See if you can at least get a half ham and then you'll that in half, keeping the shank end.
Hi
My name is Francis from Manchester England
I will try your Schweinshaxe recipe tomorrow
Cheers
We hope you enjoy it Francis!
I try a different recipe. One question, how do you get the crispy look on some pictures? like KFC texture? mines have a texture like your pictures
Hi Antonio. Since ours turned out as you see, I’m not entirely sure how to achieve the other effect you describe. Some recipes will have you score the skin in a diamond pattern and broil the hock at the end of cooking. Both of these may contribute to a crispier skin. We’ll have to give it a try the next time we make it!
Not sure what KFC might have to do with it, but if you mean the bubbly/puffy type of crackle skin on Schweinshaxe you would need to simmer the hock on a low temp first, in seasoned water/stock, score the skin, then broil it just before serving. This makes the skin puff and bubble, just like pork rinds.
Thanks for sharing that tip!
Thanks for your recipe for Schweinshaxe. I have made it several times and it's always superb!
Glad you enjoy the pork knuckle recipe Bill!
I am wondering what kind of "beer" I should try to find, is ale, cider, or larger - beer seems a very generic term, should it be brewed with hops?
many thanks
Hi TJ. We have really liked doing this with ales and lagers.
Love made this dish five times already! Last night was the best. Our butchers love to cut the hocks in half (upper and lower) and charge you for doing it! But then they go on sale because there are too many of them! But I.soldier on! Last night I couldn’t afford beer and I had a really tasty marinara from the ribs I did in tomato and onions garlic and shredded carrot. So I cut up the onions and placed the seasoned hocks side by side all six of them. They came out delicious and crispy. The best ever so I’ll buy three half cut hocks which makes six pieces and they all stand up straight and get crisped up! Love this recipe. Can’t wait to do them in beer again!
So glad you're enjoying the recipe Rod! Very interesting about the half hocks.
Do you cook this uncovered in the oven?
Hi Rhonda. Yes. This is cooked uncovered in the oven. Enjoy!
I cooked these last night and they were a little disappointing. they were the shorter hocks. The meat was fine but the skin only cooked crispy on one side, the other side, nearer the beer but not in it, was soft and chewy. I put the skin back in the over to crackle up but it just went really hard. I'm going to look for full size hocks and try again.
Hi Glen. We're sorry you're having trouble with the recipe. Chances are the size of your hocks was the issue, but is is strange that the skin near the beer but not in it didn't crisp. We'd be really interested in hearing your results if you are able to try it again with larger hocks.
I'm making this tonight, I got two shorter hocks from my local Kroger in TX., they're the wider (upper) part so quite meaty. I've scored the skin so that its easier to break up and eat. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Wonderful! We hope you enjoy them and look forward to hearing how they turn out!
Tried this out and they tasted amazing. Came out more burnt than pictured above but I didn’t do a good job of adding liquid over time. They also weren’t very big, should I have adjusted the cook time? Can I determine that based on weight?
We're glad you enjoyed the pork hocks Matt! If they were small, it is possible that adjusting the cooking time down a bit would have been a good idea. Checking on them every hour (and maybe more frequently towards the end) will help you keep an eye on their progress.