Pork leg: how to choose and what to cook

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pork leg is not only an offal from which you can cook jelly. Some of its parts are also suitable for baking, for example, the knuckle. From it you can cook many delicious and original dishes. However, to do this, you need to know how to choose the right shank and prepare it.

Choose Right

The pork leg turns out appetizing and very tasty if it is chosen and prepared correctly. When buying a similar product, special attention should be paid to the following criteria:

1. The age of the animal. The structure of the meat depends on this indicator. In this case, the principle "the younger, the more tender" applies. The optimal age of the animal is no more than two years. If this indicator is higher, then the meat may be sinewy and tough.

2. For cooking, it is better to take the shank of the hind leg. The ideal part is the one that is located above the knee, closer to the ham. The meat is softer here.

3. It is better to buy a pork leg in a specialized store or in an organized market.

4. Before the purchaseit is worth asking the seller for the relevant documentation. It must state that the meat has been tested and is safe for he alth. Otherwise, there is a risk of purchasing a product containing pathogenic microorganisms.

Other criteria

I buy a pork leg, special attention should be paid to its weight. It should be from 1200 to 1800 grams. If this figure is much higher, this should alert. This may indicate that the animal is very old, or the product will be too greasy, or the seller has filled the product with liquid and is trying to deceive his customers.

If you plan to cook the knuckle immediately upon returning home, then it is better to buy it chilled. If you will not use the product soon, then it makes sense to buy it frozen. Fresh meat does not store well.

How to prepare the product

Most often cooked pork leg in the oven. However, before this, the meat should be prepared. The procedure consists of several steps:

1. Defrosting. The procedure is carried out only at room temperature. Do not use the microwave oven. Otherwise, the meat will not be as juicy and tender.

2. After defrosting, the pork leg must be thoroughly scraped and washed in running water.

3. After that, the shank should be boiled. It is recommended to do this even before baking.

Cooking Features

After preparation, many people remove the skin from the shank. However, experienced chefs do not recommend doing this. The skin allows you to keep the juiciness of the pork leg. Thanks to her, the meat will remain soft and will not be overdried.

There may be stubble on the surface of the skin, but do not remove it before cooking. It is better to do this after heat treatment. Then the hair will become softer. This will allow you to remove the bristles without much difficulty. In conclusion, the pork leg should be burned with a candle or matches.

Should I use marinade? And in general, how to cook pork legs? The recipe is quite simple. You can not marinate the shank beforehand, as it takes a very long time to cook. This can further soften it. Some recipes allow the use of garlic and a mixture of seasonings. As for the vinegar, it will make the meat tougher. But at the same time, it will give the finished dish a more spicy aroma and piquant taste.

How to cook pork feet

As a rule, the knuckle is baked in the oven. In doing so, a variety of methods are used. How long does the preparation take? Usually a pork leg is baked in the oven for two or even three hours. So it pays to be patient. That is how much time it takes for the heat treatment of such products. After the specified time, the shank will become more tender and soft.

You can use a variety of spices, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages such as beer to prepare the dish.

Beer recipe

So, let's try to cook pork legs. The recipe involves the use of the following set of products:

• knuckle - 1 piece;
• dark beer - 2 to 2.5 l;
• garlic - 9 cloves;
• s alt, spices - to taste;
• vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking process

The recipe for oven-baked pork knuckle can be mastered by every housewife. First, wash and then dry your foot. After that, it is worth making several holes in the rudder. This is required so that the meat is well soaked during the heat treatment process. It is also recommended to rub the pork leg with a mixture of spices and s alt. Now the shank should be left for about an hour. Onions must be peeled, but not chopped. As for garlic, it should be finely chopped.

The shank should be placed in a deep container. Throw in an onion and a few cloves of garlic as well. Products must be poured with beer. The container must be placed on the fire and boil the leg for one and a half hours. Upon completion of the heat treatment, beer is not recommended to be poured out. It will still be needed.

The finished shank should be grated with the remnants of garlic and placed on a baking sheet. Pig's leg is recommended to be poured with some of the remaining beer. After that, the baking sheet must be placed in the oven. It is worth cooking the knuckle at 180-200 ˚C for an hour, periodically pouring beer.

Cooking in the sleeve

The pork leg baked in the sleeve is very tasty and juicy. For its preparation you will need:

• pork knuckle - 1 piece;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• seasoning and s alt to taste.

Cooking steps

The shank should be thoroughly washed in running water. Bristle - singe before heat treatment. In this case, the pork leg does not need to be boiled. Indeed, when baking in a sleeve, the meat is well steamed and softened.

Grate the prepared shank with s alt and spices. In addition, several cuts must be made on it. They need to put in a clove of peeled garlic. Now the meat should be left for a few hours to marinate.

After the specified time, the shank should be put in the sleeve, and then in a baking dish or on a baking sheet. It is necessary to cook meat for two hours at a temperature of at least 190 ˚С. 20 minutes before the end of cooking, the sleeve must be pierced in several places. Thanks to this, a crispy appetizing crust is formed on the knuckle.

Spicy oven-baked pork knuckle recipe

To prepare a fragrant and tasty dish you will need:

• medium shank - 1 piece;
• mustard - 50 grams;
• mayonnaise - 50 grams;
• natural honey - 50 grams;
• s alt and pepper to taste.

How to bake

The shank should be washed and then boiled, adding pepper and s alt to it. Heat treatment should last at least an hour. During this time, you can prepare the marinade. To do this, in a deep container, you need to mix honey, preferably liquid, mayonnaise and mustard.

Grate the boiled shank with the finished marinade, and then carefully wrap it with foil. At the same time, the meatmust be completely closed. Finally, put the pork leg on a baking sheet and place in the oven.

The dish should be cooked at 200 ˚С for an hour. Then the heat should be reduced, and the foil unfolded. Bake the knuckle until golden brown at a temperature of at least 170 ˚С. Serve hot.

Finally

You can cook a pork leg at home. It is not hard. The main thing is to properly prepare the meat and choose spices. Compliance with all the requirements will allow you to make a tasty and fragrant dish in the oven. As for pork hooves, they are best used to obtain a gelling agent, since they consist mainly of bones and veins. This offal is ideal for cooking jelly.