Baked boar knee is a traditional Czech dish that has long become a real symbol of the country - along with dark beer and Witt Cathedral. Moreover, this recipe has become very popular in other countries, but it will always be associated with the Czech Republic and its ancient traditions.
However, the baked shank in Czech in its original form has already become boring to many. Therefore, the famous chef Zdenek Poglreich decided to modify it a little, and submit the result to the public.
Essential Ingredients
To prepare this dish you will need:
- shank - 4 pcs.;
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- head of garlic - 1 pc.;
- onion - 2pcs.;
- parsley root - 1 pc.;
- celery root - 1 / 2pcs.;
- tomatoes - 3pcs.;
- dark beer;
- butter;
- vegetable oil;
- rosemary;
- thyme;
- salt;
- pepper.
Meat selection and preparation
Before baking the knuckle in the oven, you must select and prepare it correctly. A small part of the knee is suitable for this recipe, and it is better to use young pork, which is much softer and more tender. Each knuckle should be thoroughly washed and processed over an open fire. Then, using a knife, small incisions are made throughout the piece. This is necessary in order to bake the shank in the oven along with vegetables and a special sauce that will have to be absorbed into the meat, and the skin will interfere with this.
Cooking the sauce!
Fry garlic cloves with a small amount of vegetable oil. Then they need to stuff the meat, inserting the teeth into the cuts made. Then fry coarsely chopped carrots, celery, parsley roots and onion rings. To bake the knuckle in the oven and at the same time convey to it the whole taste of the products, add unpeeled garlic and diced tomatoes without skin to the roasting. The whole mixture is fried for a few more minutes and poured onto a baking sheet, which can be pre-coated with parchment or foil to prevent sticking.
Roasting
Now you need to put the meat on the gravy in a baking sheet and put the dish in the oven, where it will be cooked at a temperature of 180 degrees. All cooks know how much to bake the knuckle in the oven, but this knowledge is mostly intuitive. Therefore, no one can give an accurate and unambiguous answer in time parameters. The fact is that it is cooked until the meat begins to lag behind the bone. You can check this with a standard plug. After that, the knuckle is left in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to allow it to reach full readiness due to the temperature set. It is also worth noting that during heat treatment it is necessary to constantly pour the dish with dark beer, although some prefer to pour it on a baking sheet before starting cooking. However, the second method is more convenient, in addition, it allows the meat to acquire a beautiful color.
Innings
Before baking the knuckle in the oven, you need to decide on the side dish. Traditionally, stewed cabbage and seasoning in the form of grated horseradish are used. However, this recipe recommends just pouring gravy on the meat with a small amount of butter and serving with fresh bread. No other side dish is required, since this is the only way to experience the real taste of this dish.