How to cook pork knuckle: tips and tricks

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

Pork knuckle is rightfully considered an excellent product for creating all kinds of culinary masterpieces. Most often, on the basis of the hind legs, cooks prepare second hot dishes, as well as rich aspic. And only true gourmets know that a delicious pork knuckle, after skillful preparation, becomes a truly appetizing and satisfying treat. A variety of sauces, seasonings, marinades and spices give the meat simply a unique taste and aroma.

Pork knuckle dishes baked in the oven are in perfect harmony with vegetables and are considered the most balanced option. Such treats have a delicate taste and an unforgettable aroma. Today, pork knuckle recipes are extremely diverse. So in order to appreciate this appetizing product, you just have to cook it according to any of them you like.

Product selection

When choosing a suitable pork knuckle in a supermarket or market, be sure to pay attention to its smell and appearance. Closely inspect the skin - good meat will be covered with light, almost white skin, devoid of all sorts of spots. The product itself should be quite dense and elastic, with a minimum amount of fatty layers.

Try pressing on the meat: a good shank will immediately return to its original shape. But a stale product will remain wrinkled. The darker the meat and fat, the tougher and drier the dish made from it will turn out. By the way, for roasting a pork knuckle in the oven, it is advisable to give preference to the hind leg, which, as a rule, is more meaty.

Preparation

Before you start cooking pork knuckle in a slow cooker or oven, it must be prepared. To do this, the purchased leg should be burned a little over the fire, after which the skin should be thoroughly cleaned with a knife or a metal brush. Then rinse the shank thoroughly under running water. Only after that you can safely start cooking the intended dish.

If you want to make the meat more tender and soft, additionally soak it by placing it in a deep container and filling it with milk. In this state, the knuckle should be left for a couple of hours. Then take out the product, rinse again and remove the remaining liquid with paper towels. Now all you have to do is learn how to cook pork knuckle.

Recipes

As a rule, such meat is not served whole, but is divided in portions. Therefore, you should determine the amount of the product yourself. Only one thing is important - to know exactly how to cook a juicy pork knuckle. You need to familiarize yourself not only with the process itself, but also with some tricks.

Today, one of the most popular is the recipe for pork knuckle,baked in the sleeve. Naturally, such a dish is prepared exclusively in the oven. It turns out this treat is incredibly juicy, tasty and fragrant. This delicacy is perfect for a festive table. To prepare the pork knuckle in the sleeve you will need:

• each tablespoon of tomato paste and mayonnaise;
• a few garlic cloves;
• a teaspoon of dry rosemary;
• the same amount of thyme;
• s alt and pepper to your taste.

This listing is for one medium sized leg. If you plan to cook a larger dish, then do not forget to correct the list of necessary products.

Cooking process

In a bowl, mix ground black pepper, thyme, rosemary, s alt and a couple of cloves of grated garlic. You can replace the last component with a dry mixture if you wish. Use a knife to make small cuts in the shank and stuff the meat with garlic cloves. Then rub the leg with the prepared spice mixture, put it in a plastic bag and tie it so that there is no air left in it. In this state, put the pickled meat in the refrigerator and leave for a day. By the way, do not rush to throw away the spices left after lubrication - set the mass aside until the next day.

After the allotted time, remove the shank, place in a large saucepan, cover with water and put on a slow fire. It takes about an hour to cook the leg. But even after the cooking is over, do not rushget the meat out of the water. Leave the knuckle for another half an hour in the hot broth. Only then can you take out the cooked meat.

Mix the tomato paste with mayonnaise, add the rest of the spices. Rub the knuckle again with the prepared mixture and put it in the culinary sleeve, tie it up well, pierce a few holes with a toothpick and place the meat on a baking sheet. The leg should be baked for an hour at a temperature of 200 degrees. Then take out the baking sheet, cut the sleeve completely and place the shank back in the oven to brown it. 10 minutes is enough. Are you wondering how to cook pork knuckle in foil? Similar! This recipe is versatile and perfect for those who use not only special sleeves, but also foil.

Pork knuckle in beer

This traditional Bavarian dish is unusually fragrant and delicate. In Germany, such a delicacy is considered one of the most favorite treats for every resident. With a minimum of effort, you can cook a truly delicious, satisfying meal. How to cook pork knuckle in beer? Very simple! Stock up on all the necessary ingredients, free time and, of course, desire.

Before directly cooking pork knuckle in beer, professional chefs recommend paying special attention to meat preparation. It is advisable to soak the purchased leg in milk or ordinary water for at least 5-6 hours, and it is best to leave it overnight.

Product List

For cooking classicBavarian dishes you will need:

• 2 kg of the shank itself - the number of legs can be absolutely any;
• 2 liters of dark beer;
• garlic head;
• carrot and onion;
• a few bay leaves;
• tablespoon French mustard;
• the same amount of honey and s alt;
• a pinch of cumin;
• 10 g each of black and allspice;
• 5g cloves.

Of course, such a set of products is unlikely to be in every home. However, if you want to impress your guests with a nutritious tender dish or just surprise the household with a new culinary delight, do not spare the money and time. Don't hesitate, the result will exceed all your expectations!

Step cooking

Competently prepared knuckle put in a saucepan and pour beer. Put on maximum fire. Peel the vegetables, stick a clove directly into the onion. After the broth boils, reduce the heat and remove the foam that has arisen. Put the prepared spices and vegetables into the pan. Boil the shank for two hours. Then take it out and let it cool. Make a few small cuts in the leg and stuff with garlic cloves.

Mix honey, mustard and 2 tablespoons of beer broth and rub the shank with the mixture. After that, send the meat to the oven, heated to 180 degrees, for half an hour. At the same time, the shank must be poured several times with the broth in which it was cooked. And after the allotted time, you can safely get the meat and serve it to the table. By the way, the bestserve the shank hot, you can cut it into portions beforehand if the leg is too big.

A traditional side dish for a Bavarian dish is sauerkraut. However, juicy pork knuckle harmonizes perfectly with potatoes and various vegetables. For a spice-filled meal, serve the leg with mustard, either plain or grainy.

Pork knuckle in a slow cooker

This recipe will surely come in handy for confident users of modern technology. How to cook pork knuckle in a slow cooker and what is required for this? In principle, there is nothing unusual in this method of preparation. It is also necessary to pre-buy the meat and prepare it, as well as purchase additional ingredients. You will need:

• a few bay leaves;
• large onion;
• a couple of garlic cloves;
• ground paprika;
• s alt and pepper to taste.

Cooking steps

As usual, wash and clean the shank. Peel the vegetables, chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible and mix with paprika, pepper and s alt. It is advisable to take a teaspoon of each ingredient, but, depending on your own preferences, you can change the amount of products. With the prepared mixture, rub the leg on all sides and leave to marinate for a couple of hours.

After the specified time, put the prepared meat in the multicooker bowl, pour in 2 cups of water, throw in bay leaves andpeppercorns. Cook the shank for an hour by selecting the "Extinguish" mode. As you can see, the leg is made much faster in the slow cooker.

By the way, after the meat is stewed, you can serve the whole pork knuckle or even make a spicy roll out of it. To do this, you will need to separate the meat from the bones, flatten it with the skin down and sprinkle with spices. You can use chopped garlic, s alt and chopped herbs. Roll the meat into a roll, tie with a thread and refrigerate. The delicacy should marinate for 2-3 days.

Now you know how to cook pork knuckle, making it truly juicy, nutritious and flavorful. So you just have to choose the right recipe and start pleasant experiments.