Schweinshaxe (Roasted Ham Hock) | I love German Food

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork hocks
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 0.7 oz (20 g) lard
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 1⁄2 tablespoon clove
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1⁄4 quart water
• 1⁄8 quart beer
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• pepper
• salt
• paprika
• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
• Rinse the hocks and pat dry.
• Cut the fatty skin diagonally in both directions so that you have a diamond pattern. Season with pepper, salt and paprika.
• Heat the lard in a dutch oven and brown the hocks for approx 10 mins on all sides (quite hot).
• Peel and quarter the onion and add to the pot, add the bay leaf, juniper berries, cloves and mustard grains.
• Pour in 1/8 quart of boiling water and place the pot in the middle of the oven.
• The hocks will need approx 2 – 2 1/2 hrs, depending on size, baste with beer from time to time and if required add a little water.
• Remove the hock from the pot and using beer and water make sure you scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Thicken using a cornstarch/water paste and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with sauerkraut and knoedel or mashed potatoes.
• Main Dishes