Smoked German Pork Knuckle: Roasted Schweinshaxe

Last Updated on September 9, 2024 by Carne Diem

Protein:

Method: Grill, Smoker, or Oven

This smoked schweinshaxe or German pork knuckle is the perfect centerpiece for your Oktoberfest dinner. This roasted pork dish is smoked until the meat is fall apart tender with a perfectly crispy pork skin exterior.

German pork knuckle with beer gravy and mashed potatoes.

A Guide to Smoking the Perfect German Pork Knuckle
What is Pork Knuckle?
Smoking a German Pork Knuckle:
What to Serve with German Schweinshaxe
Frequently Asked Questions

A Guide to Smoking the Perfect German Pork Knuckle

For the adventurous home cook, there's a world of deliciousness beyond the ordinary chicken breast and ground beef. Enter the German pork knuckle, also known as schweinshaxe, a northern German classic that boasts tender meat encased in a shell of crispy crackling skin. While it might sound intimidating, this recipe will have you mastering this German dish in no time!

What is Pork Knuckle?

Pork knuckle is an unsmoked ham hock located at the end of the pig's leg, just above the ankle and below the ham portion. It is the shank end of the leg that technically does not include the ham or the trotter. Pork knuckles are the traditional choice for schweinshaxe. Head to your local butcher or check with retail websites to find fresh pork hocks.

Smoking a German Pork Knuckle:

There are different ways to prepare schweinshaxe, but today, we're focusing on roasting the pork shank on our smoker. This technique allows the meat to cook to tender perfection while rendering out the fat, resulting in a crispy skin that will have you reaching for seconds. We will also be making a delicious German beer gravy with the pork drippings, to serve with the crispy pork.

Ingredients for German Schweinshaxe

To make the homemade smoked pork knuckle with beer gravy you will need 4 meaty pork knuckles, about 2-3 pounds each. If you are unable to get true pork knuckle you can substitute pork shank, but make sure they are raw and skin on. These can typically be found at a local butcher.

To make the beer gravy you will need a handful of common ingredients including onion, carrot, and parsnip. We typically use yellow onion in the recipe, but any onion type will work.

Onion, carrot, and parsnip on a wood cutting board.

You will also need chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves and a dark beer. We prefer using bone broth as it contains more collagen and gelatin and thus helps the gravy thicken more easily.

For the beer, select you favorite German beer. Dark beers like a dunkel or Schwarzbier work well, as do flavorful German doppelbocks. You will use the beer both in the beer gravy and to inject the pork prior to smoking. We like making a quick beer brine to inject the pork shanks with overnight.

Bay leaves, chicken broth, dark beer, and bay leaves.

Making the Pork Knuckle Spice Mixture

To make the schweinshaxe seasoning rub you will need 2 teaspoons each of black peppercorns, Juniper berries, and caraway seeds and 1 teaspoon each of Kosher salt, fennel and mustard seed. The spice proportions can be adjusted per preference.

Assorted seasoning for flavoring roasted pork knuckle.

Prepping the Pork Knuckle:

Slice the onion and peel the carrot and parsnip, then cut into coins.

Place the seasoning in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle to coarsely grind the seasoning mix.

Pork shank seasoning in a spice grinder.

Using a sharp knife or metal needle or pick, carefully poke the skin of the pork knuckle being careful not to poke into the meat itself. This helps the skin crisp up beautifully.

To prepare the pork injection mix 8 ounces of the beer with ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Coming from the top and bottom of the pork knuckles, and not through the skin, carefully inject the pork with the dark beer brine injection. Reserve the remaining beer.

Pork shanks seasoned injected with a beer brine.

Drying the skin: Generously rub the pork knuckles with kosher salt then refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

The next day, remove the salted pork knuckles from the refrigerator and rub lightly with olive oil. Divide the seasoning between the pork knuckles and season them well.

Seasoned German Schweinshaxe pork knuckle.

Smoking the German Schweinshaxe

We cooked this smoked schweinshaxe on our Big Green Egg, but you can make the German pork dish on a pellet smoker or whatever smoker type you prefer.

Prepare Your Smoker: Preheat your smoker to a temperature of about 300°F set up for indirect heat.

Place the sliced onion, carrots, and parsnip in a foil pan or roasting pan with the remaining beer, Bay leaves, apple cider vinegar and chicken bone broth. We prefer to cook the pork "over the top" style, so that the pork drippings can be incorporated into the gravy.

Slices of carrot, onion, and parsnip is beer and chicken stock in a foil pan.

Place the pan on the smoker and then position the pork knuckles on top of the pan using a wire rack.

Smoked German pork knuckle on a smoker., cooking over the top of veggies.

Smoke the pork knuckles for about 3 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees. Remove the pork and gravy pan from the smoker and increase the temperature to 500 degrees or heat an oven to 500 degrees.

To crisp up the pork skin cook the German pork knuckles under the high heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Once crisp, remove the roasted pork knuckles to a pan and let them rest for about 10 minutes.

Roasted German pork knuckle with crispy skin.

Finishing the beer gravy for the pork knuckle

Strain the gravy into a saucepan, removing the Bay leaves and veggies. Simmer the gravy for about 10 minutes, and if needed thicken with a cornstarch slurry, a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. We typically use a ratio or 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts cold water for our slurry. When you have reached your desired consistency, remove the gravy from the heat.

What to Serve with German Schweinshaxe

The roasted German pork knuckle is the perfect centerpiece for your Oktoberfest celebration. Serve it with the beer gravy and a traditional side like potato dumplings and red cabbage or alongside some of these other great German recipes:

Don't forget a big stein of your favorite beer to complete the authentic German experience and a slice of German Black Forest Cheesecake for dessert.

Smoked German pork knuckle with crispy skin on a plate with beer gravy and potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

My beer gravy is too thin, how do I thicken it?

The beer gravy can be thickened using a cornstarch slurry or other thickening agent. To make a cornstarch slurry add 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts cold water and mix to combine. Add, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the simmering gravy and stir well to thicken. Repeat if needed.

What is the best final temperature for German pork knuckle?

Pork knuckle and shank contains a lot of connective tissue and collagen that need to be broken down. We find it best to cook the pork knuckle to an internal temperature of at least 200-203 degrees to maximize tenderness.

Can I make the gravy less smoky?

Yes, for a less smoky beer gravy, cover or remove the gravy half-way through the smoke. If you choose not to cook the gravy at all on the smoker, we still recommend trying to collect the pork drippings in a pan, to be added to the gravy.

Smoked Schweinshaxe: German pork knuckle with beer gravy.

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