Pork hock can be made into not only hot pot, soup but also pairs well with nutritious stews. Let’s cook today and make 3 delicious and unique pork hock stews in German, Italian, and Korean styles!
1. Italian-style Pork Hock Stew
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
2 hours 30 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Italian-style Pork Hock Stew For 3 people
Veal hock 800 gr (can be replaced with pork hock) Onion 1 bulb Carrot 150 gr Celery 30 gr Flour 50 gr Tomato sauce 5 gr Rosemary 4 gr (Rosemary) Thyme 5 gr (Thyme) Garlic 2 cloves Cornstarch 2 teaspoons White wine 250 ml Chicken broth 500 ml
How to choose good veal
- Choose meat that is bright red, with a fine texture, has elasticity when pressed with your hand, small white tendons, and fat that is bright yellow, with a distinctive beef smell. Dark red meat and deep yellow fat indicate old beef which will be very tough when eaten.
- Avoid meat that is pale green, has an unusual odor, is slimy, leaves an indentation when pressed, is soft and non-elastic, or has round white spots on it; this could indicate meat infested with parasites, grains, or from sick cattle and has been stored for a long time.
How to prepare Italian style stewed pork knuckle
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Prepare vegetables
Wash all ingredients, peel and dice the onion, peel and slice the carrot into rounds about 5mm thick, and chop the celery.
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Prepare and fry the veal
Wash the veal thoroughly; you can soak it in saltwater for 10 minutes or blanch it in boiling water to remove dirt.
Carefully tie the veal with string so that it cooks evenly when stewed and does not fall apart, then coat the veal with a layer of flour.
Heat a pot over high heat, when the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat until boiling, then add the floured veal and pan-fry until both sides are evenly golden.
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Cook vegetables
Place another pot on the stove, add 2 cloves of garlic, onion, carrot, celery to sauté, then add rosemary, thyme along with 50g of tomato sauce and 250ml of white wine to sauté and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
Note: You don’t need to sauté the vegetables too soft, the braising process will make the vegetables mushy.
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Braise the veal shank
Add 500ml of chicken broth to the vegetable braising pot and add the veal shank along with some salt and pepper to braise for 2 hours on low heat.
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Prepare thick sauce
Use a sieve to filter the sauce from braised veal and vegetables; if the sauce is still thin, you can add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
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Presentation
Scoop the veal onto a plate, drizzle the sauce over it, and serve with mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon of Gremolata, and 1 tablespoon of chopped carrots to finish.
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Final product
The Italian-style braised veal dish offers you a delicious flavor, with tender, sweet veal meat blended with rich sauce that will make you love it and eat it endlessly!
2. German-style braised veal in milk
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking time
1 hour 15 minutes
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Difficulty level
Medium
Ingredients for German-style braised pork leg Serves 3 people
Boneless pork leg 600 gr Fresh cream 70 ml Unsweetened fresh milk 250 ml Flour 3 teaspoons Potatoes 2 pieces Carrots 1 piece Onion 1 piece Leek 1 stalk (spring onion) Garlic 3 cloves Butter 2 teaspoons
How to choose good fresh milk
- When buying canned milk, you should choose reputable sellers, check the production and expiration dates. Choose milk with the newest production date and the longest shelf life possible.
- Check if the bottles or cans are sealed properly, intact, ensuring they are not deformed, bulging, or punctured.
- Avoid buying milk that is displayed directly under sunlight or in damp places.
- When you bring it home, you should pour the milk into a bowl instead of pouring it directly into the food for cooking to check if the milk has an unusual smell, is lumpy, or has curdled, in which case it should not be used.
Tools needed
Pressure cooker, pot, bowl,…
How to prepare German-style Milk Braised Pork Knuckle
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Prepare the pork knuckle
Wash the pork knuckle thoroughly, soak it in salt water for 10 minutes, then blanch it in boiling water to remove dirt and eliminate any unpleasant odors.
Place the meat in a bowl and marinate it with spices including: minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and rub the spices evenly into the meat, marinating it for 10 minutes.
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Prepare other ingredients
Wash the ingredients thoroughly, mince the garlic, and cut the leek into 3 cm pieces.
Peel the carrots and potatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces about 2 – 3 cm.
Slice half an onion into wedges and dice the other half.
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Pork Leg Stew
Place a pressure cooker on the stove over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until hot, then add diced onion and chopped leek to sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the pork leg and stir-fry until the meat is browned, then pour in enough water to cover 2/3 of the meat and cover the pot to stew for 30 minutes. Scoop out a small bowl of the broth to use as a sauce.
Tip: You can add 30ml of wine to the stew with the pork leg to enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.
After stewing for 30 minutes, add the carrots and potatoes and stew for an additional 15 minutes before turning off the heat.
Note: You should not add potatoes and carrots at the beginning of the stew, as the long cooking time will make them mushy.
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Making the sauce
Place another pot on the stove, add 2 teaspoons of butter and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
Then add the bowl of broth and 250ml of unsweetened fresh milk.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then add in 3 teaspoons of flour and stir well, continue to add 70ml of fresh cream, a little pepper to taste, and cook until the mixture thickens, then turn off the heat and add cilantro.
Tip:
- When adding flour, remember to dissolve the flour first before adding other ingredients to avoid lumps.
- You can adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.
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Final product
Serve the braised beef and vegetables in a bowl, drizzle the sauce on top to finish.
When eating, you can feel the richness of the sauce blended with the tender sweet pork knuckle and the delightful vegetables.
3. Korean herb braised pork knuckle
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour 15 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Korean Herbal Braised Pork Leg Serves 3
Pork leg 1 kg Onion 1/2 bulb Apple 1 piece Jujube 20 gr Coriander seeds 1 teaspoon Fennel 1 teaspoon Star anise 2 gr Licorice 2 slices Coffee powder 1 tablespoon Malt 1 teaspoon Fresh coconut water 500 ml White wine 10 ml Ginger 20 gr Green onions 4 stalks (use the white part) Garlic 20 gr Dried chili 10 gr Pepper 1 teaspoon
Ingredient Image
How to Cook Korean Herbal Braised Pork Leg
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Prepare the pork leg
Wash the pork leg thoroughly with water. Then place the pork leg in a pot, boil it with a bit of ginger and 1 teaspoon of salt for 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water to remove dirt and eliminate odors. Use a knife to scrape off any hair if present.
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Stew the pig’s trotters
Put 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, 2g of star anise, 2 slices of licorice, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of coffee powder into a filter bag and tie the bag tightly.
Place the filter bag into the pot with the pig’s trotters along with dried chili, jujube, onion cut into wedges, spring onion tops, garlic, ginger, and unpeeled fresh apples cut into quarters.
Then pour in 500ml of coconut water along with 10ml of white wine, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 tablespoon of malt syrup, stir well to mix the spices and stew for 1 hour.
Note:
- During the stewing process, remember to turn the trotters over to ensure they cook evenly and absorb the spices.
- Add more water if you find the water is low.
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Finished product
The pork leg after being stewed is placed on a plate, allowed to cool slightly, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
It can be served with white rice, fresh vegetables, and dipped in soy sauce.
You will experience the soft sweetness of the pork leg blended with the fragrant aroma of cinnamon, licorice, and star anise. This is definitely a nutritious dish for the whole family during the weekends.
How to choose a good pork leg
- It is advisable to choose the hind leg as it will have more meat and nutrients compared to the front leg.
- Choose a pork leg that has a bright red color, meat with elasticity, hooves that are not loose, and a characteristic smell.
- It is recommended to buy from reputable food stores or TasteVN.
- Do not choose a pork leg that has a pale greenish color, is slimy, has mushy meat, shows bruises on the skin, and has an unusual smell.
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The dish Italian, German, Korean braised pork knuckle will bring your family a nutritious meal. Wishing you success in your cooking!
*Refer to images and recipes from the channel: 1987s, Culinary Frank, Dao Thớt VLog
