Schweinshax'n Technique, Anyone?

[vertigopilot]

Hello, Friends!

I'm enjoying my newest oven immensely, mostly making pizza, sourdough breads and various shashlik (shish kebab). Now I'm hankering for the sublime pleasures of Schweinshax'n (or Eisbein, if you will) - pork shanks roasted with fatty, crispy skin. Has anyone here made this dish to their personal satisfaction?

If so, I'd love to hear the technique, and see the food porn.

Prost!

-Jim

[vertigopilot]

Re: Schweinshax'n Technique, Anyone?

Anyone? ...

[Gulf]

Re: Schweinshax'n Technique, Anyone?

Try a new search. Schweinshaxe.

PS: I had never heard of it. But, it looks delicious. Definately on the to do list .

[vertigopilot]

Re: Schweinshaxen Technique, Anyone?

Yes, indeed!

Here's my first attempt. Took three pork hocks and simmered them 1/2 hour in enough water to cover, with garlic cloves, peppercorns, fennel seed and 1/2 glass of my homebrew weissbier leftover from the night before (1 liter is the smallest size I'll serve to guests).

Drained the haxen, scored the skin, rubbed with salt, white pepper, cumin and coriander, placed into the barrel-vault oven at 450F surface temps with hot embers pushed to the back. Closed oven and waited two hours.

The meat slid easily off the bones, and the flavor was sublime. The skin was less crispy than I'd prefer, but none was wasted.

Next time I'll probably start at 500-525F.

[okn]

Re: Schweinshax'n Technique, Anyone?

Schweinshaxe is one of my all time favorite German dishes. I have tried a few times to replicate it, but have never succeed in getting it close to a good Bavarian example. From the looks of your photo, it seems you're on the right track. I've often wondered if they do a final deep fry or some other trick to get a crispy outside. I've only tried roasting them. For me, besides tasting great, a good Schweinshaxe has to the majority of the fat rendered out, and have a crispy outside. I have never succeed with a good crispy outside and I usually still have too much fat for my tastes. From the looks of yours, it seems like deeper scoring of the skin may help with crispiness. Please keep us posted as you strive to make the ultimate Schweinshaxe. I for one will be following this.

Kevin

[vertigopilot]

Re: Schweinshax'n Technique, Anyone?

Schweinshaxe is one of my all time favorite German dishes. I have tried a few times to replicate it, but have never succeed in getting it close to a good Bavarian example. From the looks of your photo, it seems you're on the right track. I've often wondered if they do a final deep fry or some other trick to get a crispy outside. I've only tried roasting them. For me, besides tasting great, a good Schweinshaxe has to the majority of the fat rendered out, and have a crispy outside. I have never succeed with a good crispy outside and I usually still have too much fat for my tastes. From the looks of yours, it seems like deeper scoring of the skin may help with crispiness. Please keep us posted as you strive to make the ultimate Schweinshaxe. I for one will be following this.

Kevin

I agree, well-made schweinshaxen is sublime, and should have the fat well-rendered, and the skin nice and crunchy. I'll keep working on my technique. Next time (this week) I'll simmer a bit longer, then score the skin deeper, dry rub with just ground caraway and fennel seeds with salt, let them sit at room temp for an hour or more before going into a 500F oven with embers smoldering.

For backup with each batch, I'll do the same thing to a pork belly, so the haxen won't feel singled out.

[Laurentius]

Re: Schweinshaxen Technique, Anyone?

Yes, indeed!

Here's my first attempt. Took three pork hocks and simmered them 1/2 hour in enough water to cover, with garlic cloves, peppercorns, fennel seed and 1/2 glass of my homebrew weissbier leftover from the night before (1 liter is the smallest size I'll serve to guests).

Drained the haxen, scored the skin, rubbed with salt, white pepper, cumin and coriander, placed into the barrel-vault oven at 450F surface temps with hot embers pushed to the back. Closed oven and waited two hours.

The meat slid easily off the bones, and the flavor was sublime. The skin was less crispy than I'd prefer, but none was wasted.

Next time I'll probably start at 500-525F.

Beer, instead of water, a good German beer!

[vertigopilot]

Re: Schweinshaxen Technique, Anyone?

Beer, instead of water, a good German beer!

Das bestimmt!