Bavarian roast pork

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ kg roast pork with rind
• 4 large onions
• 1 apple
• 1 liter of broth
• 150 ml beer, light
• salt and pepper
• Caraway seeds
• marjoram

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Preheat oven to 185°C. Wash the meat, pat dry, and score the crust in a diamond pattern. Make sure you cut down to the fat layer but not into the meat. It’s best not to let the butcher do this for you, as most butchers are a bit clumsy. Now season the meat all over, first with caraway, then with pepper, and finally with a layer of marjoram. Salt the crust as well. Place the meat in the roasting pan. Peel and quarter the onions, and distribute them evenly around the roast. A little trick: Before putting everything in the oven, take a piece of onion, press it firmly against the edge of the roasting pan, and rub it all the way around (on the inside, of course). This will help create a browner sauce later. Now bake the whole thing in the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes. In the meantime, bring the broth to a boil and then keep warm on the lowest heat. The first 30 minutes are up, and we briefly remove the roasting pan from the oven. Now we add about 2 ladles of stock to the roasting pan, take a brush and use it to loosen the brown bits from the onions. Make sure you get the edges evenly, even if they are not yet brown. Do not pour any sauce over the roast itself. Season again with salt, pepper, a little caraway, and marjoram. Place the roasting pan back in the oven and set the timer back for 30 minutes. In the meantime, peel and quarter the apple, leaving the core behind. The four apple pieces go into the pot with the stock. The next 30 minutes are up, the roasting pan is taken out of the oven, add 2 ladles of stock, and brush them off. Now add the four apple pieces from the stock, ideally one in each corner. Place the whole thing back in the oven and set the timer back for 30 minutes. Then take the roasting tin out again, add 2 ladles of stock, brush it off and put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Repeat this process until the roast is dark brown. This takes about 2.5 hours. The last 30 minutes are usually spent preparing the potato dumplings, as this is when it tastes best. If you want to cook chemically correct, season with caraway seeds again about 10 minutes before the roast is ready. This way the caraway seeds still have their active ingredients and help burn the fat. About 5 minutes before taking the roast out, pour a generous splash of beer over it. This is extremely important because it is a Bavarian roast. When the roast is ready, take the roasting tin out, let the meat drain and place it on a cutting board. Brush the roasting tin again and pour the contents through a fine sieve into a saucepan and puree vigorously. Remove the crust from the meat and roughly chop it with a knife. Trim the fat from the meat and cut the meat into thin slices. Skim the fat from the pureed sauce, taste and add more seasoning if desired. Place two potato dumplings on each plate and tear open in the middle, do not cut them. Arrange the meat slices around them, pour the sauce over them and then place some of the crust on top. If you want to decorate it extra nicely, add a sprig of parsley. And don’t forget to turn off the stovetop with the stock now. Note: The two ladles of stock that are poured over the meat are only a guideline. There should be enough so that in the 30 minute increments there is always a little more left than evaporates. The sauce will only ever be as brown as the onions, so don’t start pouring in the stock until the onions start to brown.