It’s called Schweinshaxe and it comes with a rich, flavorful beer gravy. You say it has a piece of unbelievably tender, juicy pork meat on the bone wrapped in crispy crackling skin? Stop beating my heart!
Of the many things Germans have perfected, pork roast is right up there. And of course, great crackling is key to this meaty art. Most recipes for pork knuckle don’t do this well, but we did it!
Brining pork knuckle is an easy but extremely effective technique for achieving juicy, seasoned meat packed with flavor. By soaking the pork knuckle in a saltwater brine solution before cooking, the results are phenomenal – succulent, tender meat infused with tons of flavor from the brine.
If you want to take your roasted, grilled or braised pork knuckle from great to spectacular learning how to properly brine it is a must. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about brining pork knuckle at home.
Why Brine Pork Knuckle?
Brining pork knuckle provides several major benefits:
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Enhances moisture retention – The salt in the brine allows the pork knuckle to retain significantly more moisture during cooking. This keeps the meat incredibly juicy and succulent instead of drying out. Very helpful for dense leaner cuts like knuckle.
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Infuses flavor throughout – In addition to the salt, all the other seasonings in the brine deeply penetrate the meat too. This adds so much well-balanced flavor complexity from spices, herbs, aromatics, sugar etc.
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Tenderizes the meat – The brining process actually begins to break down some of the tough muscle fibers in the pork knuckle. This makes the meat much more tender and easier to bite through.
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Prevents drying out while cooking – The increased moisture brining provides means the pork knuckle stays juicy when roasted or grilled instead of ending up dry and chewy.
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Adds cured flavor notes – Brining gives cured pork flavors to the meat, similar to how a ham tastes. This perfectly complements the rich, meaty pork knuckle.
Brining really is simple to do, while making a monumental difference you’ll notice from the very first juicy, seasoned bite. Now let’s get into the specifics of brining pork knuckle at home.
Pork Knuckle Brining Basics
Here’s a quick rundown of the key factors that go into properly brining pork knuckle:
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Salt – Use kosher or sea salt, not table salt. Kosher salt’s flavor and texture are ideal for brines. Table salt makes it way too salty.
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Sugar – White sugar adds sweetness that balances the saltiness. Brown sugar provides deeper molasses notes as well.
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Aromatics – Spices, herbs, citrus, garlic, onions, peppercorns etc all add lots of flavor complexity.
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Liquid – Water and/or vegetable stock. Some brines also use fruit juices, wine or beer.
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Time – Pork knuckle should brine for 24-48 hours since it’s a very large, dense cut.
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Temperature – The brine must be kept chilled at 34°- 40°F to prevent bacterial growth.
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Ratio – A general brine ratio is 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon water. Adjust to taste.
Step-By-Step Brining Instructions
Follow these simple steps for brined pork knuckle that’s seasoned throughout:
Ingredients:
- 2 pork knuckles
- 1 gallon water
- 1⁄2 cup kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons juniper berries
Instructions:
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Combine all brine ingredients in a very large container and whisk until salt and sugar fully dissolve. For quicker dissolving, heat a bit of the water first.
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Once cooled, add in pork knuckles, submerging them fully in the brine. Use a plate to weigh them down if needed.
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Refrigerate for 48 hours, flipping knuckles occasionally.
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After 48 hours, remove knuckles from the brine. Discard used brine.
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Rinse each pork knuckle under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
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At this point, you can rub them with spices/herbs before cooking.
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Roast, grill, or braise as desired until fully cooked and tender.
And that’s it – easy brined pork knuckle ready for your cooking method of choice! The brine provides incredible seasoned flavor and ideal texture.
Brining Tips for Best Results
Here are some top tips to ensure brining success and the most flavorful pork knuckle:
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Use a non-reactive container like plastic or glass. Metal can react with the brine.
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Chill the brine before adding pork to prevent bacteria growth.
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Weigh down pork knuckles to keep fully submerged in the brine.
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Brine in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Proper temperature control prevents spoilage.
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Flip the pork periodically so the brine contacts all surfaces evenly.
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Rinse pork very well after brining, and pat extremely dry before cooking.
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Avoid reusing brine. Always make fresh to prevent contamination.
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Apply a spice rub before cooking for enhanced flavor and browning.
Customize Your Pork Knuckle Brine
While a basic brine of salt, sugar and aromatics perfectly seasons pork knuckle, you can also customize your brine to achieve different flavor profiles:
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Apple Brine – Use apple juice as the liquid, adding cinnamon sticks and sliced apples. Great for fall roasts.
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Citrus Brine – Orange, lemon, and lime juices brighten up the brine. Add peels too.
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Beer Brine – Opt for a nice malty beer like a brown or red ale. Avoid anything too bitter.
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Herb Brine – Lots of fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano infuse great herb flavor.
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Spicy Brine – A blend of chile peppers, cayenne, garlic and cumin makes a bold, spicy brine.
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Fennel Brine – Fennel seeds, bulbs, fronds provide mild licorice notes.
Feel free to mix and match different brine ingredients to create your own signature flavor. The possibilities are endless!
Cooking Brined Pork Knuckle
Once brined, pork knuckle can be cooked many delicious ways:
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Roasted – Roast low and slow in the oven until fall-apart tender. Works well for large gatherings.
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Grilled – Gets nice char and smoky flavor from the grill. Relatively quick cooking time.
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Braised – Braise in broth and aromatics until ultra tender and pull apart meat.
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Smoked – Smoking over low heat results in incredibly moist, tender meat with tons of flavor.
No matter which cooking technique you choose, brined pork knuckle delivers next-level texture and deeply seasoned taste. The brine provides the perfectly flavored foundation.
Enjoy Deliciously Seasoned Brined Pork Knuckle
While brining pork knuckle may seem like an extra step initially, it rewards you with pork bursting with seasoned flavor in every bite, and irresistibly juicy, tender meat.
The simple brine of salt, sugar and aromatics thoroughly penetrates the meat for pork that’s seasoned from the inside out. Follow the recommendations for proper brine time and temperature control, and rinse/dry the pork well after brining for best results.
From there, feel free to roast, grill, braise, smoke or cook the brined pork knuckle any way you like – it turns out spectacularly every time. Give it a try and you’ll find yourself falling in love with how a basic brine utterly transforms this cut into a new world of flavor.
The challenge: How to make crispy skin on Pork Knuckle
Even though it’s easy to make German Pork Knuckle with deliciously tender meat, you almost never see one with really good crackling all the way around. I’m talking about the skin that is really bubbly and breaks into a thousand tasty pieces when you bite into it. Not the rock-hard and flat sort of crackling where it’s your teeth more likely to be shattering!.
It’s the shape of the pork knuckle that makes it hard to get perfect crackling all over. Crackling is easy when the skin is flat and level, like on pork belly and shoulder. This is because the heat is spread out evenly. With Pork Knuckle, the skin is wrapped around the bone and oriented vertically.
This means two things. First, it’s harder to cook the top and bottom skin of the knuckle evenly because they are higher up and the oven is cooler on the bottom. Secondly, the skin shrinks as it roasts, causing creases and folds which never turn into good crackling.
Part 3: Make that Crispy Pork Knuckle crackling!
- Turn up the heat! Put the knuckle on a separate baking sheet and raise the oven temperature to 260°C/500°F (240°C fan). While the meat is roasting, the liquid in the pan should be reduced. At this point, all that’s left to do is thicken the liquid to make Beer Gravy (see Part 4 below).
- Use vinegar to brush your skin—Use half of the last tablespoon of vinegar to brush your skin. See above in the section on ingredients for what the vinegar is for. Don’t worry—brushing your teeth with vinegar won’t change how crisp the skin is. We only brush on a little, and the oven’s high heat quickly evaporates it;
- Blast it! Put the knuckle in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the tray around halfway through and brushing it with the rest of the vinegar at this point.
- And now, swoon! The skin should be golden and crispy all over, with pretty little bubbles all over it. It will be almost perfect, or at least as perfect as crackling can get with pork knuckle. The shape of the pork knuckle means that the crackling will never be as perfect as it can be with a nice, flat piece of pork belly, where it can be made perfect all the way around. We’re pretty close, though, and I think it’s better than anything else I’ve seen! Now let the pork rest for 15 minutes so the juices can rest again. If you don’t do this, the meat juices will run all over the place when you cut into the meat! Don’t forget the German beer gravy! Here are the steps to make it.
* There is just no other way to describe how a pork knuckle should be eaten!
Traditional Pork Knuckles – A Typical Oktoberfest Dish From Germany
FAQ
How long does it take to brine pork?
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