German Cuisine
There are many different types of German
food but there is most famous German foods called “German Ham Hock with
Sauerkraut” in Germans “Eisbein Mit Sauerkraut”.
This is very traditional German meal. The
eisbein is a picked, smoked and then slow roasted, served with a heap of fresh
and fermented and picked white cabbage and boiled potatoes.
Ingredients:
·
smoked ham hock/s (I used about 1 1/2
lbs, but larger pieces can be used)
·
Sauerkraut (I used about 3/4 of a 1 qt
/946 ml glass of Sauerkraut)
·
1 large onion, chopped
·
1 large carrot or several baby carrots,
chopped
·
3 allspice berries
·
5 pepper corns
·
1 bay leaf
·
4 tsp salt
·
6 cups water, or as needed
Directions
Add
all ingredients including the Sauerkraut into pot. Pour enough water over the
ingredients to cover the meat. Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer
until the meat becomes soft and cooked. This took about an hour for the 1 1/2
lbs. Season the Sauerkraut stew to taste and divide it onto plates. Add some of
the meat and serve it with cooked potatoes and mustard, horseradish.
Another famous meat food of German is
called “Schweinshaxen”
Schweinshaxe is a roasted ham hock,
especially popular in Bavaria. It is usually marinated or pre-boiled in a
caraway seed and garlic brine, roasted until the skin is crisp, and served with
mustard, horseradish, and pickled chili peppers. The Bavarian version is often
served with potato dumplings and red cabbage, or with sauerkraut and potatoes.
Ingredients: 2-3 pounds pork shank
Seasoning: 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, 1/2
head garlic, salt and pepper
Directions: Boil hind pork shank in a pot
of water with caraway seeds, garlic, salt and pepper, covered for one hour. Use
just enough water to submerge the shank in the pot you are using and season
water sufficiently. After one hour, let shank cool down to room temperature.
Cut skin horizontally, approximately 1/2 inch apart, and roast at 374 degrees
of 90 minutes. Raise temperature on 425 degrees and crisp skin approximately 20
minutes. Serve traditionally on a wooden platter, warm, with kraut salad,
country bread, pickles, horseradish and Bavarian mustard.
