If you mention meat, most Berliners will think of pork, and their
favorite is “Eisbein,” a cured, boiled knuckle of pork. But why is it called
“Eisbein”?
Way back when, about a hundred years ago, the Spree River was
covered in a thick layer of ice. Nothing could get through, and even the barges
were frozen in. A mail carrier tied the long bones from a pig to his boots and
skated over the ice. His idea wasn’t new—skates had long been carved from the
strong leg bones of pigs. So it seemed only natural to call a pig’s leg
“Eisbein” (ice leg).
Except in the culinary version, you leave the bone on the plate,
after gnawing it clean. Maybe that’s what the mail carrier saw when he thought
up his skates?
Recipe:
3 pounds cured pig knuckle, carved into four portions
2 onions
1 bunch soup vegetables
( 2 carrots, 2 leeks, 2 stalks celery)
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black and white
peppercorns
- 1) Wash the meat thoroughly under cold running water, to remove
bone splinters. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a
boil.- 2) Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions. Rinse the vegetables,
peel, and chop coarsely. As the water boils in the pot, remove foam with a
skimmer.- 3) Add the vegetables, cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover
the pot and cook over medium heat for about 1 1/5 hours.- 4) Remove the pork slices from the pot and place them in shallow
bowls. Spoon broth over the meat.
Tip: Goes well with puréed peas and sauerkraut. Along with a
schnapps and a beer, of course.
Variation:
Degreased Pork-Knuckle Casserole
Remove the freshly boiled meat from the bones and cut into small
pieces, trimming away the fat. Fill the bottom of a casserole dish with a thick
layer of sauerkraut.
Spread the meat on top and cover with a thick layer of mashed
potatoes. Drizzle melted butter over the top, and place the casserole on the
middle rack of an oven preheated to 390 degrees; bake about 30 minutes. Serve
garnished with browned onion rings.
The author enjoys this version of Berliner “Eisbein”; not everyone
is a fan of all the fat in the original recipe.
Makes 4 servings