Haspel – pork knuckle from the Rhine-Main area

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 pork knuckles (hind knuckles)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp peppercorns, green
• 2 bay leaves, optional
• 1 cup water
• n. B. roasting bag

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

Tie a roasting bag at one end, add all the ingredients along with a cup of water (no more!), squeeze out as much air as possible, and tie a knot at the other end. Place the bag in boiling water for 3 hours. Remove the roasting bag and put it in a bowl and portion the meat. You can remove the bones without a knife! Traditionally eaten with sauerkraut and bread, or with potatoes or mashed potatoes. Leftovers are also delicious cold with mustard and bread. The juices that run out (about 4 cups) can be used to make the world’s best pea soup! This variation is based on the legendary recipe of an ancient butcher/innkeeper from Offenbach, who used sausage casings instead of roasting bags. The pork knuckles (called “Haspel” here) cook in their own juices; the typical aroma is incomparable.