Schweinshaxe is Bavaria's most iconic dish — a whole roasted pork knuckle with crackling so thick and crisp it taps like glass, served with sauerkraut and potato dumplings.
Serves 2 peoplePrep 20 minCook 3 hr
What you'll need
Equipment
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Ingredients & method
Ingredients
- 2 pork knuckles (hind shanks, skin on, about 900 g each)
- 2 litres water
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 300 ml dark German beer
- Sauerkraut and potato dumplings to serve
Method
- 1Place the pork knuckles in a large pot with the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour to tenderise and season the meat.
- 2Remove the knuckles and pat dry. Score the skin in a diamond pattern. Rub with salt and caraway seeds.
- 3Preheat oven to 200 °C. Place knuckles in a roasting pan. Add beer to the pan. Roast for 90 minutes, basting with beer every 20 minutes.
- 4Raise to 230 °C for the final 20 minutes to blister the skin into proper crackling — it should sound hollow when tapped.
- 5Rest 10 minutes. Serve with sauerkraut, mustard, and potato dumplings. A dark beer is obligatory.
Chef's tip
The pre-simmer step is what separates a proper Schweinshaxe from a dry roasted knuckle — it seasons the meat from within and guarantees tenderness.