Pork leg is not only an offal from which you can cook jellied meat. Some of its parts are suitable for baking, for example, shank. Many delicious and original dishes can be prepared from it. However, to do this, you need to know how to choose the right shank and prepare it.
Choose the right one
Pork leg is delicious and very tasty, if it is properly selected and cooked. When buying such a product, special attention should be paid to the following criteria:
1. The age of the animal. The meat structure depends on this indicator. In this case, the principle "the younger, the more gentle." The optimal age of the animal is no more than two years. If this figure is greater, then the meat can be sinewy and tough.
2. For cooking, it is better to take the knuckle of the hind leg. The ideal part is that which is located above the knee, closer to the ham. In this place, the meat is softer.
3. It is better to buy a pig leg in a specialized store or in an organized market.
4. Before buying, you should ask the seller for relevant documentation. It should indicate that the meat has passed the test and is safe for health. Otherwise, there is a risk of acquiring a product containing pathogenic microorganisms.
Other criteria
Buying a pig leg, special attention should be paid to its weight. It should be from 1200 to 1800 grams. If this figure is much larger, this should alert. This may indicate that the animal is very old, or the product will be too fat, or the seller pumped the product with liquid and is trying to fool its customers.
If you plan to cook the shank immediately upon returning home, then it is better to purchase it chilled. If you will not use the product soon, it makes sense to buy it frozen. Fresh meat is poorly stored.
How to prepare a product
The most commonly cooked pork leg in the oven. However, before this meat should be prepared. The procedure consists of several stages:
1. Defrosting. The procedure is carried out only at room temperature. Do not use a microwave. Otherwise, the meat will not be so juicy and tender.
2. After defrosting, the pork leg must be thoroughly scraped and washed in running water.
3. After that, the knuckle should be boiled. It is recommended to do this even before baking.
Cooking features
After preparation, many remove the skin from the shank. However, experienced chefs do not recommend this. The skin allows you to save the juiciness of a pig's leg. Thanks to it, the meat will remain soft and will not be overdried.
There may be bristles on the surface of the skin, but do not remove it before cooking. This is best done after heat treatment. Then the hair will become softer. This will remove the bristles without much difficulty. In conclusion, the pig leg should be burned with a candle or matches.
Should I use a marinade? And anyway, how to cook pork legs? The recipe is quite simple. Previously, the shank can not be pickled, as it takes a very long time to prepare. This can further soften it. Some recipes allow the use of garlic and a mixture of seasonings. As for vinegar, it will make the meat tougher. But at the same time it will give the finished dish a more spicy aroma and piquant taste.
How to cook pork legs
Typically, the shank is baked in the oven. In this case, a variety of methods are used. How long does the cooking take? Typically, the pork leg is baked in the oven for two or even three hours. Therefore, be patient. It takes so much time to heat-treat such products. After the specified time, the knuckle will become more tender and soft.
To prepare the dish, you can use a variety of spices, vegetables, as well as alcoholic beverages, such as beer.
Beer Recipe
So, let's try to cook pork legs. The recipe involves the use of the following set of products:
- shank - 1 piece;
- dark beer - from 2 to 2.5 liters;
- garlic - 9 cloves;
- salt, spices - to taste;
- vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l
Cooking process
Each housewife can master the recipe for a baked pork shank in the oven. To begin with, it is worth washing, and then drying the leg. After that, a few holes should be made in the shank. This is required so that the meat is well soaked in the heat treatment process. It is also recommended to rub the pork leg with a mixture of spices and salt. Now shank should be left for about an hour. Onions must be peeled, but not chopped. As for garlic, it should be finely chopped.
The knuckle must be placed in a deep container. It is also worth putting onions and a few cloves of garlic. Products need to pour beer. The container must be placed on fire and boil the leg for one and a half hours. At the end of the heat treatment, pouring beer is not recommended. It will still be needed.
Ready knuckle should be rubbed with garlic residues and place on a baking sheet. Pork leg is recommended to pour part of the remaining beer. After this, the pan must be placed in the oven. Cooking the shank is at 180-200 ° C for an hour, periodically pouring beer.
Sleeve cooking
The pork leg baked in the sleeve turns out to be very tasty and juicy. To prepare it you will need:
- pork knuckle - 1 piece;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- seasonings and salt to taste.
Cooking steps
The knuckle should be thoroughly washed in running water. Bristles - singe before heat treatment. In this case, you do not need to boil the pig leg. Indeed, when baking in the sleeve, the meat is steamed well and softened.
Prepared shank should be rubbed with salt and seasonings. In addition, several cuts must be made on it. They need to put in a clove of peeled garlic. Now the meat must be left for several hours for marinating.
After the specified time, the knuckle should be put in the sleeve, and then in the baking dish or on the baking sheet. It is necessary to cook meat for two hours at a temperature of at least 190 ° C. 20 minutes before the end of cooking, the sleeve must be punctured in several places. Thanks to this, a crispy appetizing crust is formed on the shank.
Savory recipe for pork shank baked in the oven
To prepare a fragrant and tasty dish you will need:
- shank of medium size - 1 piece;
- mustard - 50 grams;
- mayonnaise - 50 grams;
- natural honey - 50 grams;
- salt and pepper to taste.
How to bake
The knuckle should be washed and then boiled by adding pepper and salt to it. Heat treatment should last at least an hour. During this time, you can cook marinade. To do this, in a deep container you need to mix honey, preferably liquid, mayonnaise and mustard.
The finished marinade is to grate the boiled knuckle, and then carefully wrap it with foil. In this case, the meat should be completely closed. At the end, the pork leg should be laid on a baking sheet and placed in the oven.
Cook the dish at 200 ° C for an hour. Then the heat should be reduced, and the foil unfold. Bake the shank before forming a golden crust at a temperature of at least 170 ° C. Serve hot.
In conclusion
You can cook pork leg at home. That's not difficult. The main thing is to properly prepare the meat and pick up the spices. Compliance with all requirements will make it possible to make a tasty and fragrant dish in the oven. As for the pork hooves, it is better to use them to obtain a gelling agent, since they consist mainly of bones and veins. This offal is ideal for cooking jellied meat.