Get ready for a truly indulgent feast! Today, we're diving into a delicious and calorie-rich Hungarian Braised Pork Knuckle recipe. Forget about the scales – this is all about savouring a hearty, oven-baked masterpiece served with perfectly baked potatoes. Consider it your ultimate "no-diet-today" menu!
Pork knuckle (ham hock or shank) holds a special place in Hungarian cooking, frequently appearing in soups and stews. However, it's equally delicious baked – often accompanied by beans or potatoes and horseradish cream. This oven-baked version is, in fact, the renowned Hungarian dish "csülök pékné módra", which I'll be sharing with you today, my way.
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I've noticed two main ways to tackle this recipe: baking the knuckle directly in the oven for several hours at a low temperature, or the method I prefer, which involves braising it gently first before finishing it in the oven.
So, let's start by looking at the ingredients we'll need for this Hungarian braised pork knuckle.
Ingredients
For this recipe, I'm using a non-smoked pork knuckle, approximately one and a half kilograms, which will be cooked with both the skin and bone. I recommend against deboning it beforehand, as the bone contributes significantly to the flavor and can be easily taken out after cooking.
For Simmering
For simmering the pork knuckle, we're focusing on building a flavourful broth that will tenderize the meat and infuse it with delicious aromas. Here's a bit about each ingredient we'll use in that process:
- Onions: These aren't just a base; as they gently simmer, they release their natural sweetness and a subtle savoury depth into the liquid, creating a foundational flavour for the pork.
- Bay leaves: These unassuming leaves are powerhouses of subtle fragrance. As they heat, they'll impart a slightly woody, almost tea-like note to the broth, adding complexity without overpowering the other flavours.
- Peppercorns: Unlike ground pepper, whole peppercorns release their peppery warmth slowly and gently into the simmering liquid.
- Garlic cloves: Adding a few garlic cloves to the simmering liquid would contribute a pungent and savoury depth.
- Sea salt: This is crucial for drawing out the pork's natural flavours and seasoning it from the inside out as it cooks. It helps to tenderize the meat as well.
For Roasting
The oven roasting stage is all about adding a beautiful finish, crisping the skin, and cooking the accompanying vegetables to perfection. Here’s a look at the ingredients involved in that part of the process:
- Potatoes: The oven's heat will make them fluffy on the inside and beautifully browned and slightly crispy on the outside, soaking up some of the delicious rendered pork fat.
- Onions: The high heat caramelizes their sugars, creating soft, flavourful bites that complement the savoury pork.
- Sea salt: A final sprinkle of sea salt enhances the natural flavours of the potatoes and onions, ensuring they are well-seasoned and delicious.
- Ground pepper: Freshly ground pepper adds a touch of warmth and a subtle spicy kick to the roasted vegetables.
- Marjoram: This fragrant herb, sprinkled over the potatoes and onions before roasting, releases a warm, slightly sweet, and floral aroma as it cooks.
- Thyme: With its earthy and slightly minty notes, thyme also joins the roasting party, lending its distinct fragrance to the vegetables.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Coating the potatoes and onions in olive oil helps them to roast evenly, prevents them from drying out, and encourages browning and a lovely crispness.
- Pork lard (or goose fat/olive oil): Used to grease the baking tray, this adds another layer of flavour, especially if using pork or goose fat.
For glaze
- Beer: This is a key component of the glaze brushed onto the pork knuckle during the final stages of roasting. The beer adds a subtle malty depth and helps the glaze to become sticky and caramelized.
- Honey: The honey in the glaze provides sweetness, balances the savoury pork and mustard, and contributes to that beautiful, glossy, caramelized finish.
- French mustard: The mustard in the glaze offers a tangy and slightly sharp counterpoint to the sweetness of the honey and the richness of the pork, adding another layer of flavour complexity.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Braised Pork Knuckle Recipe?
Just as I mentioned at the start, this braised pork knuckle recipe unfolds in two key steps: first, we'll simmer the knuckle gently with the spices, and then we'll transfer it to the oven for baking.
Braise the Knuckle
Take a soup pot and place the whole pork knuckle inside. Then, pour in enough cold water to fully submerge it.
To the pot, add all the bay leaves and peppercorns, followed by a tablespoon of sea salt. Next, peel two of the five onions, slice them coarsely (or quarter them), and add them to the pot along with the garlic cloves.
First, bring the contents of the pot to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat to its lowest setting and allow it to simmer for about two hours.
Now, I know some folks think boiling the pork knuckle first might mean losing a bit of goodness. But on the flip side, it really soaks up all those lovely spice flavours.
Prepare the Knuckle Bed
Generally, I'll create a bed of potatoes and onions on a baking tray, then place the braised pork knuckle on top before baking it in the oven.
Let's start with the potatoes. After cleaning them, I'll cut them coarsely. If you have smaller ones, quarter them and put them in a bowl.
We cleaned and coarsely sliced the three remaining onions and added them to the bowl with the potatoes. Then, I seasoned everything with two teaspoons of sea salt, a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, a teaspoon of marjoram, a teaspoon of thyme, and drizzled three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over them.
Make sure to mix the potatoes and onions well, either with a spoon or your hands like I did, so that the spices coat everything.
Prepare the Baking Tray
I prepared a baking tray, a ceramic one in my case, and greased it with three tablespoons of lard.
If you don't have or prefer not to use lard, goose fat or extra virgin olive oil are good substitutes. Pour the seasoned potato and onion mixture into the greased tray and spread it evenly across the bottom.
We'll place the braised pork knuckle over this bed of potatoes and onions and then put the tray in the oven.
Baking the Pork Knuckle
To help the potatoes cook through, I covered the tray with foil and will bake it at a low temperature of 140 degrees Celsius Fan (approximately 284 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 30-40 minutes.
After removing the foil, increase the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius Fan and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.
To elevate the dish, I created a glaze by mixing 50 ml of beer with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of French mustard. I brushed this glaze over the knuckle every ten minutes until it developed a beautiful copper color and the honey caramelized.
So, that's the braised pork knuckle recipe! The cooking time might be a little lengthy, but trust me, the exceptional result is well worth the wait. Let's serve it up!
Glaze Variations
- Maple Syrup: Substitute honey with maple syrup for a different kind of sweetness.
- Soy Sauce & Ginger: For an Asian-inspired twist, create a glaze with soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic, and a touch of brown sugar.
- Spicy Glaze: Add a pinch of chili flakes or a dash of your favourite hot sauce to the honey-mustard-beer glaze for a bit of heat.
How to Serve the Braised Pork Knuckle?
To serve, arrange a base of those wonderfully roasted potatoes and sweet, ripe onions on a flat plate. Top with strips of the tender, perfectly braised pork knuckle, add a touch of horseradish cream, and pour yourself a refreshing beer to go with it. Absolutely perfect!
Storing
Allow the cooked pork knuckle to cool completely at room temperature before storing it. This prevents condensation from forming inside the storage container, which can encourage bacterial growth.
Place the leftover knuckle in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap. If you have sliced the knuckle, arrange the slices in a container.
If you have leftover potatoes and onions, it's best to store them in a separate airtight container. This helps maintain their texture and prevents them from becoming too soggy from the moisture in the pork.
Once cooled, refrigerate the pork knuckle as soon as possible, ideally within two hours of cooking. Properly stored cooked pork is generally safe to eat for 3 to 4 days. After this time, the risk of bacterial growth increases, and the quality may decline.
If you like this braised pork knuckle and pork in general, I recommend the following recipes from our blog:
- Easy Oven Baked Pork Steak Recipe
- Fried Breaded Pork Chops Recipe
- Best Meat Jelly Recipe
- Creamy Pork Stew Recipe
- Simple Pork Tenderloin Stew Recipe
- Best Easter Ham Recipe
FAQ
The exact braising time can vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your pork knuckle. A larger knuckle might need closer to 3 hours, while a smaller one could be ready a bit sooner.
The intensity of your simmer will also play a role. A gentle, low simmer is key for tenderizing without drying out the meat.
Ultimately, you're looking for the meat to be easily pierced with a fork with little to no resistance. This is the best indicator of doneness after braising.
Here are the most common reasons why your braised pork might still be tough:
- Not braised long enough: The magic of braising is the slow, low heat that breaks down the tough connective tissues (collagen) in the pork knuckle. If it hasn't been braised for a sufficient amount of time (typically 2-3 hours), it will likely still be tough.
- Simmering temperature was too high: While you want the liquid to simmer, a rapid boil can actually toughen the meat. The collagen needs gentle, consistent heat to break down properly. Ensure you maintain a low and steady simmer.
- Not enough liquid: The pork knuckle should be mostly submerged in the braising liquid. If too much liquid evaporates during the process and the meat is exposed, it can dry out and become tough.
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Braised Pork Knuckle Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
- 1 ceramic baking dish
Ingredients
- 1,5 kg pork knuckle non smoked
Braising
- 2 pieces onions medium size
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 4 pieces bay leaves
- 6 pcs garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon sea salt kosher
Baking
- 1 kg potatoes red
- 3 pcs onions medium-size
- 2 teaspoon sea salt kosher
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon marjoram dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tablespoon pork lard or goose fat, or olive oil
Glaze
- 50 ml beer
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon french mustard
Instructions
- Place the pork knuckle in the pot then, pour in enough cold water to fully submerge it.
- Add all the bay leaves and peppercorns, followed by a tablespoon of sea salt. Next, peel two onions, slice them coarsely (or quarter them), and add them to the pot along with the garlic cloves.
- Start boiling, first at high temperature until it starts to boil, then we reduce the temperature to a minimum and let it simmer for about two hours.
- Clean the potatoes, peel them and cut them coarsely, and put them in the bowl. Cleane three onions, coarsely sliced and put in the same bowl over the potatoes
- Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, marjoram, thyme and extra virgin olive oil. Mix them well with a spoon or by hand as I did so that the spices reach everywhere.
- Prepare a baking form and greased it well with three tablespoons of lard. In this greased tray pour the mix of potatoes and seasoned onions and arrange them evenly on the bottom of the tray. Over this mix of potatoes and onions, place the boiled pork knuckle.
- Cover the tray with foil and bake at a low temperature of 140 degrees C Fan for about 30-40 minutes. Then remove the foil, raise the temperature to 200 degrees and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- Mix in a cup of the beer with honey and French mustard. With this sauce, grease the knuckle every ten minutes with a brush, until it got a beautiful copper colour and the honey caramelized on top.
- On a flat plate, we make again a bed of potatoes and sweet ripe onions over which we place strips of the perfectly cooked knuckle, serve a little horseradish cream and pour a glass of beer next to it.
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