Schweinshaxe in 3 Days: Smoked Pork Hock Low and Slow

I’m sticking my neck out and saying the hock is the best part of the whole pig.

Cooked just right, it can be seen as a gift from God and a mouthgasm like no other. Schweinshaxe is a classic dish in Germany that you’ll find in many restaurants there.

Don’t be scared when you read three days. You don’t cook them for three days. The process takes three days including brining and preparation. The actual cooking takes about one day. You can get away with it faster, but the slow process is the whole point.

Here I threw together a brine off the cuff that turned out very successful. If you want to read more about brines and brining, we have the guide Brine, wet cure or salt solution?.

Two days before cooking

1. Mix all the brine ingredients together and heat while stirring so the sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Let it cool completely before you add the pork hocks. A tip is to add a few ice cubes to make it cool faster.
3. Let the pork hocks soak in the brine for about 48 h.
4. Make sure the whole hock is covered by the brine. I use zip bags, where it’s easy to press out all the air and get the brine to cover the whole piece of meat.

On grilling day

1. Rinse the pork hocks thoroughly under cold water.
2. Score the skin around the hock.
3. Pat dry and rub the meat.
4. Salt the skin well all the way around.
5. Let them sit at room temperature while you get the grill ready.
6. Now it’s real low and slow. Make sure you have about 195–210°F in the grill.

A smoker is a good choice here, since it’s somewhat easier to hold the temperature. If you’re using a kettle grill, I recommend the snake method.

1. Add the wood chips and put the pork hocks on.

Two ways to finish

Now you have a choice to make.

Either you let them come up to about 158°F and serve them as traditional Schweinshaxe.

Or you let them come up to about 203°F and make pulled pork out of them. I promise you’ve never had better pulled pork.

This takes a really long time. I usually smoke them for the first 3 hours.

You can also finish them in the oven after they’ve been on the grill all day. Set the oven to 175–195°F and in they go. That way they’ll never overshoot on temperature.

Serve classic with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, or in bread with whatever filling you like.