This recipe for Polish Knuckle of Pork in Beer or Golonka w Piwie (goh-LOHN-kah vef PEE-vyeh) is from chef Bogdan Galazka's "The Cuisine of the Kings of Poland in Malbork Castle" (Multico, 2010). The book is written in both Polish and English in metric measurements and, at this point, is only available online.

A knuckle of pork is the same thing as a ham hock or pork hock. The knuckle / hock is the part of the pig above the foot and ankle but does not include the shank. Knuckles / hocks don't have a lot of meat because they are mostly made up of skin, ligaments, and tendons. But the flavor of the meat that IS there is phenomenal. You will often find them smoked which adds an even better flavor to any add-ins like sauerkraut or root vegetables. Golonka is one of the national dishes of Poland and you will find it on the menu at many Polish gourmet restaurants, especially in the mountainous region of Zakopane.

Knuckles / hocks are tough pieces of meat so braising in an oven or slow cooker is the way to go. They're also good candidates for soup, greens and beans.

Here chef Bodgan braises the fresh knuckles / hocks with dried mushrooms, onions, carrots, sauerkraut, beer, prunes, potatoes and vegetable stock for 2 1/2 hours.

Compare chef Bogdan's recipe with my recipe for Polish Pork / Ham Hocks.

See Also

Polish Rabbit in Mustard Recipe

Polish Whole Head Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

Polish Cranberry-Currant Sauce Recipe - Sos Zurawinowo-Porzeczkowy

Ingredients

• 2 (2-pound/900-g) fresh pork knuckles (hocks)
• Salt and pepper
• 6 garlic cloves
• 10 sage leaves
• Bay leaf
• A few allspice berries
• 3.38 ounces/100 ml oil
• 1.76 ounces/50 g dried mushrooms, soaked overnight
• 2 onions
• 3.5 ounces/100 g coarsely grated carrots
• 2.2 pounds/1 kg sauerkraut
• 3.38 ounces/100 ml beer
• 4 cups/1 liter vegetable stock
• 1.76 ounces/50 g prunes
• 2 teaspoons/5 g cumin
• 1.1 pounds/500 g potatoes
• 1.76 ounces/50 g butter
• .35 ounce/10 g fresh rosemary
• 3.5 ounces/100 g prepared whole-grain mustard
• 3.5 ounces/100 g prepared horseradish

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 150 minutes

• Total Time: 170 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings Pork Knuckles / Hocks

Preparation

1. Wash and dry the pork knuckles / hocks. Thoroughly rub in salt, pepper and 2 pressed garlic cloves. Put sage leaves under the skin, add bay leaf and allspice. Cover with a cloth and put in the fridge for 3 hours.
    
2. Heat oil in a pot and fry the knuckles / hocks until very golden. Remove the meat and put aside in a warm place.
    
3. Carefully remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid and rinse. Cook them in a small amount of water and a pinch of salt for 30 minutes.
    

1. Saute onions in the pot in which the knuckles / hocks were fried. When they are translucent, add 2 of the garlic cloves, chopped, and fry for 2 more minutes.
    
2. Add the carrots, sauerkraut and mushrooms with the water in which they were cooked, beer and the knuckles / hocks of pork. Add 6.76 ounces/200 ml vegetable stock and simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 2 1/2 hours, adding additional stock from time to time to prevent drying out.
    
3. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, add prunes that have been cut into small pieces and cumin.
    
4. Wash the potatoes, put in a pot and cook in skins for 25 minutes in salted water. Strain, leave to cool down and cut into quarters. Heat butter in frying pan. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves, potatoes and chopped rosemary leaves. Saute for at least 3 minutes. Place cabbage, meat and potatoes on plate. Serve with horseradish and mustard.

Here are more recipes chef Bogdan has shared from this book with my readers:

Polish Cranberry Gelatin Dessert Recipe

Polish Millet Soup Recipe

Polish Royal Babka with Raisins Recipe

Here are recipes chef Bogdan's has shared from his book "The Cuisine of the Teutonic Grand Masters in Malbork Castle" (Multico, 2009):

Polish Horseradish Soup Recipe

Polish Onion Soup Recipe

Polish Garlic Soup Recipe