Underrated Cuts: Pork Knuckle Recipe (printable version on pattyplates.com) 1 pork knuckle 2 tbsp salt 2 tsp caraway seeds 2 tsp black peppercorns 4 cloves garlic, mashed or grated 1 cup German dark beer 1 cup chicken stock 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 onion, cut into thick slices Beer Gravy 1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water Salt Sugar MSG Instructions Pork Knuckle Using a sharp object, poke holes all throughout the skin of the pork knuckle. Make sure not to poke too deep into the flesh as the meat juices can rise up during cooking and hinder crispiness. In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the salt, caraway seeds, and black peppercorns. Separately mash or grind the garlic with a pinch of salt. Rub the knuckle all over with the spice mix. Then rub the garlic paste only on the meat side. Skewer the pork knuckle on the thicker, bottom side where the skin ends. This will prevent the skin from curling up too much during cooking. Place the pork knuckle on a wire rack and let dry in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 48 hours uncovered. Preheat your oven to 325 F (162 C). On a roasting tray, place the carrot, onion, German dark beer, and chicken stock. Top with a wire rack. Place the pork knuckle on top of the wire rack and roast in the oven for about 2.5 hours. The internal temperature at the thickest part should read 185 F (85 C) Take the pork knuckle out of the oven and crank the oven up to 450 F (232 C). Strain the contents underneath the pork knuckle into a pot. Brush a layer of neutral oil over the pork knuckle skin. Place it on a parchment-lined tray and roast at 450 F for about 20 minutes or until the skin has darkened and bubbled up. Beer Gravy Reduce the strained beer/stock mixture by 1/3 over low heat, this will take about 10 minutes. This should yield about 1-1.5 cups of liquid. Then season to taste with salt, sugar, and MSG. Add the cornstarch slurry and simmer until it becomes a slightly runny gravy. German gravy is runnier than American gravy! Don’t add too much cornstarch. Serve Remove the pork knuckle from the oven and rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with anything you want. It’s traditionally eaten with sauerkraut and Kartoffelklösse (German potato dumplings). - @patty.plates