This dish was a real challenge for me, since I was preparing it for the first time. Usually, it's served in restaurants as a specialty and not all restaurants serve it, probably because the preparation time is long, about 3 hours (oh well, 2 hours are for baking). My husband loves this dish and he orders this many times when we go out for lunch. I can't say that it's a food that looks very good, not photogenic I would say...but the taste...those long hours of slow baking in its own juices, make the meat so soft and tender, you'll love it! I combined it with vegetables and roasted everything together. Check the step-by-step preparation process below. This dish serves 2 adults.
Ingredients:
• 2 pork knuckles (1.5 kg or about 53 oz)
• 100 g of flour (3-4 tbs for dipping the pork_
• 150 g strips of smoked bacon (5 oz)
• parsley
• 4 larger carrots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 piece of celery root
• 2 larger heads of onions
• half a cup of white wine
• 1 liter water (4 cups)
• oil
• vegetable seasoning and ground black pepper
• sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
Preparation:
- Add vegetable seasoning and black pepper to the pork knees.
- Roll them in flour and fry in heated oil in a sauce pan on the stove.
- When they turn brown on all sides, take them out of the pan and place them on a plate.
- Finely chop the onion heads and fry on the remaining fat in the pan on the stove.
- Cut celery root and carrot into cubes, add to the pan with softened onion.
- Cut strips of bacon into pieces, and finely chop the garlic cloves and add them to the pan. If you add mushrooms, add them in the end to shortly fry.
- When the ingredients are fried, add the tomato puree and wine. Pour 1 liter of water, salt or 1 tbs vegetable seasoning and pepper.
- When the contents of the pan boil, transfer to a ceramic dish or other dish with lid (I used a 2 pieces set of baking tray). Arrange the fried knuckles over. Coarsely chop the parsley and add it to the dish.
- Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 2 hours at 200 C (390 F) degrees.
- After 2 hours. remove the tray from the oven, remove the lid.
- Serve one gourmet knuckle and add the sauce aside. Decorate with celery leaves.
