Entree: Slovakia – Northern Culinary Region – Pečené Bravčové Koleno (Crisp-roasted pork knuckle slow-roasted until tender with crackling, traditionally served with mustard, horseradish, and sauerkraut)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 2 hrs 45 min

Additional 1 hr

Total 4 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

1 pork knuckle (ham hock), 1,400 g gross, skin on; estimated 700 g cooked edible meat and skin, excluding bone
15 ml vegetable oil (about 14 g)
30 g coarse salt, plus additional salt to taste for finishing
2 g caraway seeds
18 g garlic, lightly crushed
225 g onion, quartered
225 g carrots, halved
2 bay leaves (about 0.4 g)
355 ml pale lager beer (about 355 g) or 480 ml water (480 g) for braising; choose one
15 ml honey (about 21 g), optional
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (amount unspecified)
120 g prepared mustard, for serving
120 g prepared horseradish, or to taste, for serving
480 g sauerkraut, warmed, for serving
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (amount unspecified; optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Pat the pork knuckle dry and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat.
2. Rub the knuckle with the oil and coarse salt. Press the caraway seeds and crushed garlic around it. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
3. Place the onion, carrots, and bay leaves in a roasting pan. Set the knuckle on top, skin side up. Add either the beer or water, keeping the liquid below the skin.
4. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat is very tender and nearly falling from the bone.
5. Raise the oven temperature to 230°C and remove the foil. If using, brush the skin lightly with honey. Roast uncovered for 15–25 minutes, watching closely, until the skin is blistered and crisp.
6. Rest the knuckle for 10 minutes. Remove the meat and skin from the bone and serve with warmed sauerkraut, mustard, horseradish, and optional parsley. Add finishing salt and black pepper to taste.