Knuckle is, of course, far from a refined product. Healthy bone and muscle. This is the part that is located almost above the hoof. So, you understand, there is no question of tenderness here. In addition, this is not cheap meat at all. Although the shank will cost much less per kilogram than other types of meat, the yield of the actual edible part will be so small that the product will be expensive in terms of it. Nevertheless, despite many formal flaws, a skillfully chosen and well-cooked shank turns out delicious.
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The knuckle can be rear or front. The back is better, the front is worse. There is more on the first fleshy part, less on the second. They look similar, but in stores not a single seller indicates which is which. You can get your bearings like this: the back handlebar should weigh at least one and a half kilograms, the front handlebar should weigh about a kilogram. By the way, it is the front shanks that are usually sold in sealed food-grade plastic bags, the kind that you put in the oven and bake right in the package. Often the knuckle is sold directly with the skin. This option is not very good: you won’t eat the skin, but you’ll pay for the weight. So, it would be better to find a peeled knuckle. The remaining parameters of choice are the same as for any other meat: elasticity, smell.
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Czechs and Germans are great experts in preparing shanks. Here the knuckle is stewed in beer.
How long does it take to cook jellied shank meat?
Jellied pork knuckle cooks for quite a long time - about 4 hours, during which time the broth becomes very rich and even thick, and the meat comes off the bone well. Pork knuckle jellied meat differs from rooster jellied meat in that it has a more cloudy broth and white fat.
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Back or front leg
From one pig carcass you get four shanks: 2 rear and 2 front. The largest amount of meat is located on the hind legs. They look more appetizing and massive.
Therefore, the best option for a hearty lunch is the hind knuckle, which turns out juicy, with a golden brown crust and a lot of pulp.
As a side dish, you can serve grilled vegetables, fresh or as a salad.
When choosing a product, you should also pay attention to the volume of lard. Fatty options are not suitable as there is little meat. In addition, the dish will have a rich taste of fried lard.
Meat color
When choosing a product, you should always pay attention to its color. The leg of a young carcass has a pleasant pink tint. If the meat is too bright, then there is a high probability that it was treated with chemical solutions, such as potassium permanganate. This is done in order to give the stale piece an attractive appearance or eliminate an unpleasant odor.
The color should be uniform. A surface without weathered parts is a sign of freshness. This product is easy to prepare and soaks well in the marinade.
When choosing a shank, you should also pay attention to the date of manufacture if it is sold in a store, and in the market the leg should be carefully examined and smelled.
Pork knuckle: recipe for cooking in the oven
The dish prepared according to this recipe turns out unusually juicy and aromatic.
Product set:
- 1 tsp mixture of “Provencal herbs”;
- ground red (hot) pepper – a pinch is enough;
- one large carrot;
- take 2 tbsp. spoons of mustard with grains and any honey;
- onions and garlic - one head each;
- 7-8 peppercorns;
- pork knuckle weighing 1-1.5 kg (so that it has less fat, more meat);
- bay leaf - 3-4 leaves.
Smoking options
The easiest way is if you have a smokehouse. You pour sawdust into it, light a fire, put in the meat, and it smokes. Many smokehouses have temperature sensors, you can regulate it and make sure it is stable.
But if there is no smokehouse, this is not a reason to refuse smoked shanks. Almost everyone at their dacha has an old iron barrel - its finest hour has come. You need to throw firewood into this barrel, add sawdust and hang the shank on a hook. You can wrap the knuckle with wire and hang it on it. And close the lid on top and leave it to smoke. You only need holes in the barrel to allow oxygen to flow into the wood, but an old barrel usually already has them. Such a barrel can be turned into a permanent country smokehouse. It is, of course, more difficult to work with than a regular smokehouse, but this is a matter of experience. Just smoke it in a barrel once or twice and it’s not difficult. You can not hang the shank on a hook in a barrel, but install a grate about a meter from the firewood and smoke on it. It's even more convenient.
Article on the topic
Pork chop on the bone: how to fry so that the meat is juicy If you want to speed up the process, you can first cook the shank. Cook with star anise, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, any herbs, celery, cilantro, garlic, hot pepper. I add everything spicy that I can find in the refrigerator to the shank. You cook it and then smoke it, but for much less, about 2 hours. Such a cooked shank can be placed on a wire rack in the oven. And pour alder chips on the bottom of the oven, which is usually used for smoking. And turn on the oven. This way the knuckle will also become smoked. But it’s better to do this at the dacha or with a very good hood. Otherwise your neighbors may not understand you.
I want to warn you that if you cook it, the result will be slightly different. It will also be tasty, but a completely smoked shank is somewhat different. For my taste - better.
Useful properties of the dish
In addition to its pleasant, memorable taste, baked pork shank is beneficial for the human body. This is one of the reasons for the popularity of the dish in many countries.
The product contains a lot of calories, but it is easily absorbed by the body. The shank contains many useful substances - collagen, amino acids, B vitamins, PP. The leg is rich in minerals such as: potassium, calcium, holm, molybdenum, sulfur, copper, fluorine, chromium, iron, nickel, etc.
Having cooked it once, you will want to repeat this process again to look at the happy faces of your household and enjoy the great taste of the dish.
Cooking process
Where do we start? Take the pork knuckle and rinse it in hot water. Using a knife, remove all dirt from the skin.
It is not always possible to place the whole shank in the pan. Therefore, you can cut it into 2-3 parts. Place them in a saucepan. Sprinkle with salt. Add laurel.
Wash the green onion stems in running water. Then chop it with a knife. Pour the onion pieces into the pan containing the shank parts. Pour in hot water in the volume indicated above. Sprinkle with dried herbs. You can use a ready-made mixture or take a little dill, celery and parsley.
Place the pan with the contents on the stove. Turn on the fire to maximum. We are waiting for the boiling process to begin. Be sure to remove the foam. And reduce the heat to medium. In this mode, the shank will cook for a couple of hours. As the broth boils, we must add hot water.
Remove the boiled meat parts from the pan using a slotted spoon. Transfer them to another container and let them cool slightly. As for the broth, we won’t need it today. You can put it in the refrigerator.
So, the central place on the table should be taken by the pork knuckle prepared according to this recipe. Boiled in herbs, it turned out very juicy and aromatic. Meat pieces on the bone are served with bread, herbs, pickled or fresh vegetables. For drinks, a glass of beer or a shot of white wine is best.
Meat tenderness
Korean _ This is the name of the back part - the most delicate category of carcass. This juicy meat with a thin frame of fat comes in two varieties: with bones (backbone and ribs) and without bones (carb). Fat gives juiciness, and density gives taste and calorie content. Buy a loin for excellent cutlets on the bone. Carbonade is good for stews, boiled pork, and pilaf too.
Excessive consumption of pork loin dishes can cause problems with blood vessels and the heart.
Tenderloin. This is the most delicate, but also the most expensive part. Located above the middle of the ridge under the fat. This low-calorie delicacy is considered dietary and rich in vitamins. It will appeal to health-conscious pork lovers. It is good to cut the lean pieces into schnitzels or escalopes, and bake them whole in a sleeve or baking bag. In the article “About lean pork” you will find additional information. The tenderloin will also please kebab lovers.
Knuckle with sauerkraut and potatoes
Photo: zen.yandex.ru
A complete independent Czech dish.
You will need:
1 pork knuckle, 1 liter of beer, 250 g of sauerkraut, half a green apple, half an orange, 200 g of potatoes, spices, 25 g of butter, 1 tbsp.
tomato paste. Preparation:
Place the shank in a saucepan, add beer and water, add spices and simmer covered for about an hour over medium heat. Melt the butter a little and coat the knuckle. Place it in the oven for an hour at 180 degrees.
Chop and lightly fry sauerkraut with spices, herbs and tomato paste. Add grated apple and juice of half an orange there, and simmer everything together for another 10 minutes. Coarsely chop the potatoes, boil them until half cooked and fry over high heat. Serve everything together.
What are shanks?
Drumstick, shank, knuckle, bullock... Whatever you call this part of the beef carcass, the content does not change. It is the part of the ham that is adjacent to the knee joint. The only caveat: the shank is a cut from the back leg of the animal, and the shank is a similar piece, only from the front.
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Pig age
Boar carcasses have a specific smell that no seasoning can hide. After frying, baking or other types of cooking, the unpleasant aroma will only intensify.
At the market, you can ask the seller to check whether the product belongs to a particular gender.
To do this, you need to heat a sharp object, such as a knife or scissors, over a lighter and pierce a piece of meat with it. If a strong smell appears, then you should refrain from purchasing, since the shank belongs to a boar.
The age of the animal also plays an important role. The meat of a young individual is light in color and has a fairly thin skin.
At the same time, the knuckle will not be too large, because the animal has not yet reached its impressive size. At the same time, the density of the young carcass is low, and the structure is quite soft.
The leg of an old individual will be stiff and have a dry appearance. It is not recommended to cook this shank as it will be dry and have an unpleasant taste.
Reviews
It is believed that aysban is a man's dish: a lot of fat, calories and meat. But women should also forget about the diet for a while: iceban is worth it. Read the reviews of those who have already tried this dish, and you will want to make Eisbahn at home or immediately go to a German restaurant.
Olga:
“I tried Eisbahn in Berlin in a small restaurant near Ibis. Gorgeous shank, huge, flavorful, the meat just melts in your mouth. There, aisban is prepared with the skin and served with pea puree and sour sauerkraut. It looks unusual, I was even afraid to try the side dishes at first, but it turned out - in vain! The taste of pork goes well with peas and cabbage. Thanks to cabbage, by the way, you almost don’t feel the fat content of the dish. Nourishing and tasty - just mind blowing. It’s just a pity that dessert is no longer included.”
Anton and Alina:
“Every December we visit Berlin - our fabulous city. The beauty of the city enchants, and after walking around the streets and squares, you want to eat a hearty meal (winter in Germany is milder than ours, but it makes you think of a hearty meat dinner). And then we find a small beer hall, without tourists or advertising, and taste a new knuckle, a new beer, a new Eintopf. Pork knuckle is our common joy: aromatic, satisfying, tender - it’s simply delicious. And how great a pork knuckle with potatoes goes with beer! After a portion of iceban, life seems so measured, serene and beautiful..."
Beer and meat...what could be tastier!
Nikolai Petrovich:
“German-style pork knuckle is a masterpiece of German cuisine, a triumph of taste, a feast for body and spirit. A maddening aroma, an amazing taste, which is perfectly complemented by sour cabbage and the most delicate mashed potatoes, and how amazingly appetizing the iceban looks! You can eat and eat and eat as long as there is room left in your stomach. And with dark beer it’s absolutely a fairy tale!”
The most popular marinades
Before placing in the oven, it is advisable for the pork to be seasoned and to absorb some of the liquid from the marinade.
The best natural marinades:
- Mustard seeds, with spices, sunflower and grape oils;
- Dark beer;
- Honey;
- Naturally fermented tomato or soy sauce.
The softness of the ham depends on the time spent in the marinade. The shank should be marinated for several hours, or even better, overnight, in a cool place. This will give you enough time for the marinade to saturate the shank. You can simply add salt and sprinkle with herbs. If you do not plan to marinate, then boil the pork.
