Jerky Pork Knuckles
I've wanted to cook pork knuckles ever since I saw how much Josh enjoyed one at Oktoberfest last year. That day, I opted for a schnitzel instead but after months of hearing about the goodness of a pork knuckle, I decided that it would be the perfect meal to make in celebration of moving into our new apartment.
As per usual, my visit to the butchers was less than ideal. It's not my favourite place to be, but I survived, having picked up a small pork knuckle for myself, and one that weighed almost 2kg for Josh. (They were surprisingly cheap, too.) We got home and as I washed the knuckles and patted them dry, my fingers ran over clumps of silky, soft hairs. I froze... And then spent a minute imagining how lovely and fat this pig was before I bought two of its legs home. Thankfully, Josh jumped into action and found a disposable razor to use. We shaved piggy clean and gave her another wash and dry. The jerk seasoning is so easy to make, just whizz everything up, rub it all over the knuckles and bake. After three and a half hours in the oven, the meat melts off the bone. It's sweet thanks to the honey, fragrant thanks to the spices, and just a tiny bit hot thanks to the chilli. Serve with sauerkraut or mashed potato, and a good splash of gravy.
What you'll need:
(Serves 2)2 pork knuckles (pork hocks)
Olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Jerky spice seasoning:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 red onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 dried bay leaves
3 cloves
3 teaspoons sea salt flakes
3 teaspoons allspice
5 teaspoons runny honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
What to do:
Preheat oven to 180C. Trim any excess skin from the pork knuckles and shave any hairs if necessary. Wash and pat dry.
Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and whizz until you have a paste.
Place cleaned pork knuckles into a large roasting dish. Rub the seasoning all over the knuckles until they are coated well. Cover dish with alfoil and place into the oven for 3 hours, turning every hour. After 3 hours, remove the alfoil and scrape out any jerky seasoning that has stuck to the pan. Remove the skin from the knuckle (it should peel away) and season with salt flakes. Place knuckles back into the oven to cook for a final 30 minutes.
Use two forks or your hands to shred meat from the bone. Discard the bone and any big pieces of fat and enjoy!
