Franconian Schäufele

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1.2 kg pork shoulder, approx. with rind (Schäufele) or 2 smaller pieces
• 2 large onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 large carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 1 piece(s) celeriac
• 1 small parsley root(s)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp, heaped caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp instant gravy (dark gravy)
• ¼ liter beer, light
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

easy to prepare, hearty and crispy

Wash the meat and dry with kitchen paper. Score the rind with a sharp knife, either into diamond shapes or small squares, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season the shoulder of pork liberally on all sides with salt and pepper, preferably rubbing it all in. Peel and halve or quarter the onions. Peel the garlic and slice it in half. Clean the root vegetables and cut them into large pieces. Preheat the oven to 220°C (top/bottom heat). First, add the caraway seeds to a large roasting pan, then the root vegetables and bay leaves. Pour in about 400ml of water. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop and turn the heat up to full. Add the meat paste, let it dissolve, and mix everything well. Place the pieces of meat on top of the vegetables, making sure the shoulder of pork is stable and does not fall over in the roasting pan. Place the covered roasting pan on the lowest rack in the oven. Roast using top/bottom heat for about 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue roasting for about 2 hours. After the first hour, I pour a little beer over the rind for the first time. This gives the sauce a wonderful flavor and ensures that the rind becomes nice and crispy. The amount of beer mentioned above is only an approximate amount. It can be more. After about 2.5 hours of cooking time – the meat should fall off the bone easily – remove the roasting pan from the oven. Transfer the meat to a meat platter and return it to the oven at 200°C for about another 15 minutes. In the meantime, have a pot ready. Pour the root vegetables and sauce into a coarse sieve. Press the root vegetables through a little with a wooden spoon. This naturally thickens the sauce, and the root vegetables add even more flavor. Return the sauce to the heat and season to taste. Season with salt and pepper if desired; otherwise, the sauce is ready. If it’s too spicy, you can add a little more beer or water, if you like. When the rind is completely crispy, remove the shoulder of pork from the oven. Divide some of the sauce among the plates. Serve a shoulder of pork with raw dumplings and enjoy! We usually just serve a mixed salad with this hearty meal. Light beer or wheat beer is the drink.