Book of Days Tales

Oktoberfest traditionally begins in Munich on or around the 3^rd Saturday in September – which makes the title of the celebration a bit strange. Pork knuckle (or ham hock) is a classic dish served at Oktoberfest, and is an old favorite of mine.

Ingredients

pork knuckles
black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. cooking fat
pinch of cumin
1 small leek
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 onion
salt
beer

Instructions

Wash and dice the leek, celery, carrot and onion.
Cook the pork knuckles, diced vegetables, salt, cumin and peppercorns in water to cover for 2 to 3 hours or until tender, but be careful not to overcook them.

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

Remove the pork knuckles from the water and drain well.
Take out the vegetables and keep the cooking liquid.
Melt the fat in an enamel-lined, cast iron pan.
Add the pork, vegetables and a small amount of cooking liquid and bake for 30 minutes. Moisten the meat frequently with more cooking liquid. Before the meat is fully cooked, sprinkle with beer in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved.

Serve with knödel and a large stein of beer.