Baked pork knuckle is a classic in the Trentino cuisine, as well as in much of the Central European area.
Its savoury and strong taste makes it perfect as a recipe for special occasions or for large meals with friends and family, especially during the colder months.
Baked knuckles
Ingredients
- 4 pork knuckles without rind
- 4 l sparkling water
- 12 needles rosemary
- 4 leaves bay
- 3 g black pepper
- 4 berries juniper
- q.b. evo oil
- 1 knob butter
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g salt
Instructions
Preparation
- Clean the shins of fat and cartilage.
- Place the shanks in a container and immerse themin cold sparkling water; place them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
- Fill a container with 2 litres of sparklingwater, dissolve 100 g sugar and 100 g salt in it and immerse the shanks. Leaveto stand in the fridge for 24 hours.
Cooking
- Start the blast chiller with the pre-heatingcycle at 70°C with active humidity.
- Whisk together pepper, bay leaf and rosemary.Drain the shanks and place them in a vacuum-packed cooking bag together withthe previously blended herbs. Vacuum-pack them.
- Place the bag in the blast chiller and start thetimed cooking cycle with the following parameters:– duration: 14 hours– cell temperature: 68°C– ventilation: 100%– humidity: lvl 5Set blast chiller to +3°C at the end of cooking.Store in the refrigerator for up to 21 days.
Service
- Drain the shanks, recovering the cookingliquids, with which to prepare a reduction.
- Roast the shanks, brushed with the reduction, at240°C in the oven until golden brown.
Notes
Balanced salt for white meat consists of 150g salt and 75g sugar. Use 12g per kg of meat.
How to serve the baked knuckle?
The combination of knuckle and beer is a great classic, especially in mountain restaurants or Bavarian-style breweries. Usually an amber or full-bodied red beer is chosen to balance the very tasty meat.
The most traditional side dish is potatoes, baked, roasted or steamed.
