Schweinshaxe Tyrolean Style

 

First you bring a big pot of water to the boil (The Haxe has to be covered with water).

Add some caraway seed to the water (1 teaspoon).

Take the Schweinshaxe (knuckle of pork) and let it boil in the hot water for about 30 minutes.

Take it out of the pot, let it dry shortly and with a sharp knife cut circles into the skin of the Haxe.

See picture below.

Do not cut into the meat, only as deep as the fat goes. Otherwise the meat will turn out dry.

Do the cutting while the Haxe is still hot. Once it cools down it is pretty hard to cut.

Remove the top part of the skin and fat (1 or 2 inches from the top) totally.

There should only be the bone left

See picture below.

Doing this helps the meat to come off the bone easier.

Season the Haxe with salt (use quite a bit) and caraway seed (1/2 Teaspoon)

Rub the salt into the cuts. We also use peeled garlic cloves.

Cut them in halves lengthwise and stick them into the cuts.

See picture below.

(Instead of using half cloves of garlic I usually crush some cloves,

mix them with the salt and caraway seeds and rub the Haxe with the mixture.)

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Now put some bones ( I use one cut up rack of pork ribs) and put them into a casserole.

Otherwise the Haxe sits in the gravy and the skin does not get crispy.

Take the Haxe and put it on top of the bones.

Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit and put the casserole into the oven.

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After about one hour pour one cup of beef-broth into the casserole.

Reduce the heat to 380° Fahrenheit and let the Haxe sit there for

another 90 minutes. Turn the Haxe every half hour (or even more often)

in the last 90 minutes (to brown it evenly) and with the first

two turns pour another two cups of beef-broth into the casserole - make sure

that after the first hour (with 425°) there is always some liquid in the casserole.

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You can also put two or three browned onion halves into the casserole.

Gives the gravy colour and taste.

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It sometimes helps to get a crispy skin if you turn up the heat

for the last few minutes. But be careful not to burn the skin.

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Take the Haxe out of the casserole and strain the gravy.

Cut the Haxe. See picture below.

We serve the Haxe with either potatoes or bread dumplings and gravy.

Or you serve the Haxe with mustard, freshly grated horseradish, bread and

beer (very important) - and no gravy (see picture on top of the page).

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If you have used pork ribs instead of the bones you can serve them as well.

They should be really juicy and fall off the bone by now.

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There is really no need to do it on a rotisserie -

but if you own one, you can of course use it.

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