For the German Eisbein you would use pork, the front or back part of the leg. In the North of Germany the meat will be cured first before it will be cooked. In the South there is no curing, it will be cooked only, and then roasted in the oven or on a grill which creates a nice, crunchy crust. See the recipe for roasted Ham Hocks here
Other names are “Scheufele, Hämmche, Bötel, Adlerhaxe and Haspel”. If done right this is a delicious meal especially during the winter months and for Oktoberfest. Happy Cooking!
1 kg Eisbein with bones
Vegetable: 2 Celery stems with leaves or 1 celery root, 2 carrots, parsley root, 1 leek
2 onions
Spices: 1 bay leave, 1 tsp of salt, pepper corns, nutmeg to taste
1 bottle dark beer, optional
– Chop celery, carrot, leek, parsley root into smaller pieces.
– Place the meat and vegetable into a big pan.
– Add enough water so that the meat is completely covered.
– Let it simmer for 2 hours, don’t bring to a boil, use low heat.
– The meat is done when it falls off easily from the bones.
Make a Soup out of the Eisbein broth:
pea or bean soup,
potato soup or a soup with vegetable only.
Spice additionally to taste, add chopped parsley, marjoram or chives.
The Sauerkraut Westphalia Style is an authentic German recipe from the region Westphalia (Westfalen). You can use pre-cooked or raw Sauerkraut for this dish. Make sure you get natural Sauerkraut without any preservatives or other chemicals (will alter the taste). Sauerkraut always tastes the best the next day or when warmed up several times… read more …
German mashed potatoes are a classic side dish for all meat dishes with gravy such as Goulash, beef Rouladen, and are a great combination with fried liver, meat loaf and Bratwurst. Home made mashed potatoes are the best. Forget the ones out of the package. Even the all natural potato flakes that I tried are … read more …