Entree: Poland – Lesser Poland / Krakow – Golonka (Slow-braised then roasted pork knuckle with crisped skin, traditionally served with mustard, horseradish, and potatoes)

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 15 min

Cook 2 hrs 30 min

Additional 10 min

Total 2 hrs 55 min

Ingredients

1 whole bone-in pork knuckle (ham hock), 1,100 g gross; estimated 500 g cooked edible meat and skin after cooking, excluding bone
2,400 g water
225 g onion, halved
225 g carrots, halved
115 g celery, halved
12 g garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves (about 1 g)
10 whole black peppercorns (about 0.3 g)
6 allspice berries (about 0.4 g)
6 juniper berries (optional; about 0.5 g)
15 g coarse sea salt, plus an unquantified amount for finishing
240 g dark beer or 240 g extra water (optional; choose one)
21 g honey
30 g coarse-grain mustard (estimated edible portion: 30 g)
30 g unsalted butter, softened
45 g prepared horseradish, or to taste
60 g Polish mustard or strong mustard for serving (estimated edible portion: 60 g)
680 g small waxy potatoes, peeled; boiled for serving
5 g fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. 1. Put the pork knuckle in a large pot. Add the water, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, juniper berries if using, and 15 g salt. Add the dark beer or extra water if using.
2. 2. Bring to a gentle boil, skim any foam, then cover and simmer gently for 2–2½ hours, until the meat is very tender and pulls easily from the bone.
3. 3. Heat the oven to 200°C. Remove the knuckle and reserve 240 ml of braising liquid. Let the knuckle cool slightly, then score the skin in a diamond pattern without cutting into the meat.
4. 4. Mix the honey and coarse-grain mustard with the reserved braising liquid. Brush the mixture over the knuckle. Place it skin-side up in a roasting pan and dot with the softened butter.
5. 5. Roast for 30–40 minutes, basting once or twice with pan juices, until the skin is deeply browned and crisp. If needed, broil for 2–4 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
6. 6. Meanwhile, boil the peeled potatoes until tender, then drain. Prepare the horseradish and serving mustard.
7. 7. Rest the knuckle for 10 minutes. Serve with the potatoes, horseradish, serving mustard, and chopped parsley. Carve or pull the meat from the bone at the table.