mausi's pork knuckle aspic

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 pork knuckle(s), approx. 1.5 kg, yields approx. 400 g lean meat
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 small piece(s) of celery
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• Water, cold
• 60 g cornichon(s) or gherkins
• 75 ml cucumber juice from the jar
• 1 bag/s gelatin powder, equivalent to 6 sheets

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 10 hours

lean but still tasty

Wash the meat and place it in the pressure cooker. Add the cleaned and chopped soup vegetables, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and cover with cold water. Close the pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 hour, then turn off the stovetop until cool. Remove the lean meat from the pork knuckle and place it in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Pour the meat broth through a fine sieve and refrigerate overnight. Remove the layer of fat from the now-cold meat broth, measure out 600 ml of broth, and heat it in a saucepan. Chop the meat and cucumbers into small pieces, place them in a suitable container or bowl, and mix. Portion bowls can also be used, so the aspic is ready to serve, for example, when guests arrive. Stir the gelatine into the hot meat broth with a whisk (careful: do not boil!) and continue stirring until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Add the cucumber juices and season with salt and pepper if desired. The broth should have a strong, spicy flavor. Pour the broth over the meat and let it cool. Close the bowl and let the broth set in the refrigerator. We like to serve it with fresh bread or fried potatoes and remoulade. You can also use cured pork knuckle (ham knuckle); this gives the meat a nice pink appearance in the broth and also adds a bit more flavor. Use salt sparingly; it’s best to add a little more salt to the broth at the end.