The meat roasts under foil first to turn tender, then without it to crisp the skin. Put the pork knuckles in the oven early in the morning and they will be ready by lunch.

3 h 30 minprep 20 min · cooking 3 h 10 min
4 servingsLunch
For the patientdifficulty
780 kcalper serving

Ingredients

For the pork knuckle

  • 2pork knuckles (about 900 g each), washed
  • 1 tbspcoarse salt
  • 1 tspground black pepper
  • 2 tspcaraway seeds
  • 1 tspsweet paprika
  • 6 clovesgarlic, halved
  • 2onions, quartered
  • 4bay leaves
  • 500 mldark beer
  • 200 mlwater

For the potatoes

  • 1 kgpotatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 2 tbspsunflower oil
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1 tspdried savory

You will need: a deep 30×40 cm roasting tin, aluminium foil

Method

  1. Score the skin

    Pat 2 pork knuckles (about 900 g each) dry with kitchen paper. Cut the skin in a diamond pattern, 1 cm apart, as deep as the skin is thick, without reaching the meat. This lets the fat run out and makes the skin crisp.

    pork knuckle — Score the skin

  2. Season the meat

    Mix 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp caraway and 1 tsp paprika. Rub the mix all over the knuckles. Push 6 halved garlic cloves into the cuts.

    pork knuckle — Season the meat

  3. Set up the tin

    Heat the oven to 170°C. Put 2 quartered onions and 4 bay leaves in the deep tin, and place the knuckles on top, skin up. Pour 500 ml dark beer and 200 ml water around them, not over the skin, so it stays dry. Cover the tin tightly with foil.

    pork knuckle — Set up the tin

  4. Roast under foil

    Roast at 170°C for exactly 2 hours. The meat is ready when a fork slides to the bone with no effort and the liquid in the tin simmers gently.

    pork knuckle — Roast under foil

  5. Add the potatoes

    Take out the tin and remove the foil. In a bowl, toss 1 kg potatoes with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp savory. Arrange them around the knuckles and roast without foil at 190°C for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are soft inside and brown at the edges.

    At the 20-minute mark, turn the potatoes so they brown on all sides.

    pork knuckle — Add the potatoes

  6. Crisp the skin

    Turn the oven up to 220°C and roast for 15 more minutes, until the skin puffs into bubbles and turns golden and hard. Stay near the oven, because the skin burns fast.

    pork knuckle — Crisp the skin

  7. Let it rest

    Turn off the oven and leave the knuckles in the tin for 15 minutes. This keeps the juices in the meat instead of letting them run out when you cut it.

    pork knuckle — Let it rest

How to serve

Cut the meat into thick slices down to the bone and serve with the potatoes, the onions and the juices from the tin.

How to store

In a sealed container in the fridge, it keeps for 3 days. Reheat it in a tin under foil at 160°C for 25 minutes with a few spoons of the sauce. For crisp skin, put it back without foil at 220°C for 5 minutes.

What you can use instead

  • Instead of dark beer, use light beer. The taste will be milder.
  • No beer: use 500 ml water with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.

Questions and answers

How long does pork knuckle take to roast in the oven?

Two knuckles of 900 g each need about 3 hours 10 minutes in all. They are ready when a fork slides into the meat to the bone with no resistance.

Why is the skin on my pork knuckle not crisp?

Most often the skin was wet or stayed under foil to the end. Dry it well at the start and crisp it without foil for 15 minutes at 220°C.

Can the knuckle stay warm for guests?

Yes, covered with foil in an oven at 80°C for up to 1 hour. The skin goes soft, so put it back at 220°C for 5 minutes before serving.

Which is better, a front or a hind knuckle?

The hind one has more meat, while the front one has more bone and sinew. Both work, but the front one needs about 20 minutes more under foil.

Per serving (approx.): 780 kcal · protein 55 g · fat 48 g · carbohydrates 32 g