📝 About This Recipe
Transport your senses to a rustic Munich beer hall with this quintessential Bavarian comfort classic. Featuring a succulent pork shoulder encased in a perfectly crisp, salty crackling, the meat is slow-roasted over a bed of root vegetables and basted with rich dark lager. The result is a tender, melt-in-your-mouth roast accompanied by a deep, savory gravy that embodies the heart and soul of Alpine cuisine.
🥗 Ingredients
The Roast
- 4.5 pounds Pork Shoulder (Schweinsschulter) (with skin on and a thick layer of fat)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced into a paste)
- 2 teaspoons Caraway Seeds (slightly crushed to release oils)
- 1.5 tablespoons Kosher Salt (more for the skin)
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly cracked)
- 1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard (mild German style)
The Braising Base
- 2 large Yellow Onions (peeled and quartered)
- 2 medium Carrots (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 bulb Celery Root (Celeriac) (peeled and cubed)
- 1 large Leek (white and light green parts only, sliced)
- 16 ounces Dark Bavarian Beer (Dunkel) (such as Ayinger or Hofbräu Dunkel)
- 2 cups Beef or Pork Stock (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for searing)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Use a very sharp knife or a clean utility blade to score the pork skin in a crosshatch diamond pattern, being careful to cut through the fat but not into the meat.
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2
In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, crushed caraway seeds, salt, pepper, and mustard to create a rub. Rub this mixture thoroughly into the meat sides of the pork, but keep the skin side clean for now.
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3
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Brown the meat on all sides (except the skin side) until a golden crust forms.
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4
Remove the meat briefly. Add the onions, carrots, celery root, and leeks to the pan. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables begin to caramelize and brown at the edges.
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5
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to take off the raw edge. Pour in half of the dark beer to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the flavorful brown bits (fond) from the bottom.
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6
Place the pork back into the pan, nestled on top of the vegetables, skin-side up. Pour the remaining beer and the stock around the pork, ensuring the liquid reaches about halfway up the meat but does not touch the skin.
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7
Generously salt the skin side of the pork. This draws out moisture and is the secret to the perfect 'Kruste' (crackling).
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8
Slide the pan into the oven and roast uncovered for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Every 30 minutes, baste the meat sides with the pan juices, but avoid getting liquid on the skin.
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9
Check the internal temperature; once it reaches 160°F (71°C), turn the oven up to 450°F (230°C) or turn on the broiler for the last 10-15 minutes. Watch closely! The skin will puff up and become crisp and bubbly.
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10
Remove the roast from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes. This ensures the juices redistribute and the meat stays tender.
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11
While the meat rests, strain the pan liquids through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing on the vegetables to extract all the flavor. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until reduced to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
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12
Slice the pork into thick slabs following the score marks on the crackling. Serve immediately with a generous ladle of the dark beer gravy.
💡 Chef's Tips
For the crispest crackling, leave the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin before cooking. If the sauce is too thin, whisk in a small cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch to 1 tbsp water) and simmer for 2 minutes. Always use a 'Dunkel' or dark lager; avoid IPAs as the hops become unpleasantly bitter when reduced into a gravy. Don't rush the resting period; cutting the meat too soon will cause the juices to run out, leaving the roast dry.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with traditional Kartoffelknödel (Potato Dumplings) to soak up the rich gravy. A side of warm Specksalat (Bavarian Cabbage Salad with Bacon) provides a perfect acidic crunch to cut through the fat. Pair with a cold glass of the same dark beer used in the recipe for a harmonious flavor profile. For a lighter touch, add a dollop of fresh horseradish on the side of the plate.