Schweinshaxe (Roast Knuckle of Pork)

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb, 3 oz) knuckle of pork

salt, pepper

paprika

20g (0.7 oz) pork fat

1 onion

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon juniper berries

1/4 liter (1 cup) water

1/8 liter (1/2 cup) beer

2 teaspoons cornstarch (corn flour), for thickening

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400 Fahrenheit). Rinse the pork and dry it well. Make a cut on the skin in the shape of a diamond. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Put the pork fat into a casserole dish and heat it. Brown the meat in the fat on all sides -- this should take around 10 minutes. Peel the onion and chop it into four slices, then add it to the meat with the laurel, the juniper and the mustard seeds. Throw in half of the water and put the dish into the oven for around 60 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with beer from time to time and turn it over. If it becomes too dry, add the remaining water. Once it is ready, take out the meat and put it to one side. Add the rest of the beer and water to the meat juice, leave to boil and thicken with the cornstarch (which should be diluted in cold water). Season with salt and pepper.

Guten Appetit!