This dish is claimed by both the Czechs and the Bavarians, as “Schweinhaxe“. It is traditionally served with dumplings and sauerkraut or with rye bread and mustard. And always with beer. You can find this delicious dish in many Czech restaurants, but it can also be enjoyed at home.

Ingredients

2 pork knuckles
10 cloves of garlic
8 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
6 whole allspice
3-4 bay leaves
2 onions
1 twig of rosemary or juniper
2 cups dark beer
roux for thickening

Instructions

With a sharp knife, cut the skin on the knee diagonally into a grid, about an inch deep. Fill the grid with crushed garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, caraway, and paprika. Put the meat into a roasting pan and put it in the fridge to sit for 2 hours (or for even better taste, for the whole day).  Another option is to de-bone the knee before the preparation and, when seasoned, tie it with a string into a roll.

Remove the knee from the fridge and add the allspice and bay leaves. Then sprinkle with finely cut onion and a twig of rosemary or juniper and baste with the beer. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and roast at 375°F for 90 minutes. Baste with water from time to time.

Remove the aluminum foil and roast for another 30 minutes until the meat is crispy. Take the pork knee out of the roasting pan and strain out the spices from the basting juices. Add juices to roux to create the gravy. Thin with extra water if needed. Blend the gravy with an immersion blender until smooth.

Serve with bread, horseradish, mustard and pickles. You may also serve with potato dumplings and spinach or with bread dumplings and cabbage. Make sure to serve with more beer.

Please Note: There are several regional variants of this recipe. This is one of them.

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