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Smoked German Pork Knuckle: Roasted Schweinshaxe

This smoked schweinshaxe or German pork knuckle is the perfect centerpiece for your Oktoberfest dinner. This roasted pork dish is smoked until the meat is fall apart tender with a perfectly crispy pork skin exterior.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 519 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: European , German

Ingredients

  • 4 Pork Knuckle or Pork Shank 2-3 pounds each
  • 16 Ounces beer Dunkel or other German Dark Beer
Beer Gravy
  • ½ yellow onion Sliced
  • 1 carrot Cut into coins
  • 1 parsnip Cut into coins
  • 2 Cups chicken broth bone broth
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
Seasoning Mix
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seed
  • 2 teaspoons juniper berries
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fennel
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seed

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pat the pork knuckles dry, then using a knife, needle or pick, pork about 6-8 holes in the skin of the pork knuckle, taking care not to poke into the meat.
  2. Combine 8 ounces of the beer with ½ teaspoon of salt and mix until the salt is dissolved. Injecting from the top or bottom of the pork knuckles, inject equal amounts of beer brine into the pork.
  3. Rub the pork skin with some kosher salt, and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare the rub
    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine the Juniper berries, caraway, fennel, mustard seed, and peppercorns in a bowl and then grind to coarse consistency in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Add the salt.
Prepping the sauce and pork
  1. When you are ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and rub with a little olive oil, then equally apply the seasoning to the pork.
  2. In a foil pan or roasting pan, add the sliced onions, remaining beer, parsnips, carrot, Bay leaves, apple cider vinegar and chicken bone broth and stir to combine.
Smoking the German pork knuckle
  1. Preheat your smoker to 300 degrees and set for indirect heat. Place the pan with the liquid and veggies in the smoker then place the pork knuckles on a wire rack above the pan. Smoke for about 3 hours, or until the internal temp of the pork is 200 degrees.
  2. Remove the pork and the pan with the sauce from the smoker and increase the temperature to 500 degrees, or heat an oven to 500 degrees.
  3. Cook the pork for 20-25 minutes at 500 degrees, until the pork skin is browned and crispy. Remove to a pan and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Finishing the beer gravy
  1. While the pork is crisping up, strain the sauce into a saucepan, and discard of the solids. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until thickened. If needed, you can thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry or other thickening method. Adjust salt as needed.
  2. Serve the smoked German pork with the beer gravy and enjoy.

Nutrition Information

Calories 519kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 39g (60%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 17g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 116mg (39%) Sodium 1151mg (48%) Potassium 322mg (9%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 2571IU (51%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 62mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 519

% Daily Value*

Calories 519kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 17g 85%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 1151mg 48%
Potassium 322mg 7%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 2571IU 51%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 62mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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