Roasted pork knuckle, also known as pork hock, is known for its rich flavour and tender meat. This popular European dish is especially prized for its crispy pork skin and golden-brown crust. Traditionally served as a hearty Sunday lunch or celebratory meal, oven-roasted pork knuckle pairs well with potatoes, bread, salad, or sauerkraut.

You can find various forms of this dish across numerous countries all over the world, each with its unique twist. Pork knuckle is particularly associated with Central European cuisine and can be found in different forms across Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and neighbouring countries. In German cuisine, pork knuckle is often served as a hearty meal with potatoes, bread, or sauerkraut. Bavarian pork knuckle, known as Schweinshaxe, is especially famous for its crispy skin and tender meat.

Modern recipes often begin with marinating the pork knuckle, allowing it to soak in a blend of spices, herbs, and seasonings to infuse it with rich flavours. Rather than roasting the pork knuckle from raw, this recipe begins by boiling the pork hock in a fragrant broth with garlic, onion, different types of pepper, caraway seeds, and bay leaves.

Pre-boiling helps soften the meat and makes the pork especially tender and juicy before it goes into the oven. A simple honey marinade made with garlic, spices, and seasonings is brushed over the skin before the pork goes into the oven. As it cooks, the honey helps create a beautifully golden-brown crust and adds a subtle sweetness that complements the savoury flavour of the pork.

The final stage of oven-roasting allows the skin to become crisp and golden while the meat remains moist and succulent.

Best Sides for Pork Knuckle

Be sure to check out the delicious recipes on my site that will perfectly complement pork knuckle:

• Everything Potatoes: Easy Boiled Potatoes, Roasted Potato Wedges, Mashed Potatoes
• Marinated Mushrooms Asian Style
• Tomatoes and Onion Salad with Vinegar
• Spicy Carrot Salad with Coriander
• Beet Salad with Pickles and Green Peas

Roasted Pork Knuckle Ingredients:

• 5 kg pork knuckle;
• 1 onion;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• 2-3 bay leaves;
• 3-4 allspice berries;
• 3-4 black peppercorns.

Honey Marinade Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce;
• 1 tsp honey;
• 1 tsp. mustard.

How to roast pre-boiled pork knuckle in the oven:

• Prepare all the ingredients for the broth. Scrape the pork knuckle with a knife, carefully rinse it under running water and pat it dry. I would highly recommend choosing a pork knuckle around 1.5 kilos. Not too large, not too small, so the meat cooks through evenly and doesn’t dry out while roasting.
• Put the ingredients into a sizable pot and cover them with water so that the knuckle is fully submerged. Put the pot on the stove and let it cook after boiling for about 2 and a half hours. Turn the pork knuckle over several times so that the meat cooks through evenly. Criteria for being fully cooked: the meat should easily come off the bone.

• Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
• Take a preferred baking tray or a dish, line it with parchment paper and place the boiled pork knuckle on it.
• Whisk together honey, mustard and soy sauce for a glaze and smear the upper surface of the knuckle with part of the prepared mixture.

• Put the tray into the oven and bake for 15 minutes altogether. After the initial 15 minutes, turn the knuckle on the other side and cover it with the left honey mixture. Bake on this side for an additional 15 minutes.
• If you have some leftover marinade mixture, you can smear the surface of the knuckle several times during roasting. This step will ensure that the crust is extra crispy and appetising.

• You can serve the roasted pork knuckle hot as a main dish or cold as an appetiser. Enjoy your meal!

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I would appreciate any tips for roasting pork knuckle. I enjoyed making this authentic pork knuckle recipe and plan to make it a holiday tradition since it was simple to prepare and delicious. If you have any similar recipes that can be served as a main dish and roasted in the oven, please share them.