Schweinebraten
German roasted pork shoulder with crispy crackling, tender meat, and rich pan gravy. A rustic centerpiece that tastes far better than its simple ingredient list suggests.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 542
- Protein
- 62g
Ingredients
- 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder (skin on)
- 1.5 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- 1.5 cup beef stock
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- 1
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter, uncovered, for 1 hour so the skin dries out—this helps the skin crisp during roasting.
- 2
Set the oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light tells you it has finished preheating, about 10 minutes.
- 3
Pat the pork skin completely dry with paper towels, pressing firmly all over the surface.
- 4
Mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, and caraway seeds in a small bowl, stirring once.
- 5
Rub the salt mixture all over the pork skin and meat surface, using your fingers to work it into any crevices and gaps.
- 6
Place the pork skin-side up in a roasting pan, then position the onion halves underneath the meat so they prop it up slightly.
- 7
Pour the beef stock around the pork (not over the skin) until it reaches halfway up the sides of the meat.
- 8
Slide the roasting pan into the preheated oven on the middle rack.
- 9
Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes until the skin begins to blister and look light golden brown, checking through the oven window.
- 10
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F by turning the dial, then return the pork to the oven on the same rack.
- 11
Continue roasting at 325°F for 90 minutes until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork and the skin is deeply browned and crackling.
- 12
Insert a meat thermometer horizontally into the thickest part of the meat (not touching bone)—it should read 190°F when done.
- 13
Remove the roasting pan from the oven using oven mitts and place it on a heat-safe surface.
- 14
Lift the pork onto a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil so it stays warm while you make the gravy, about 15 minutes.
- 15
Place the roasting pan directly on the stovetop over medium heat, making sure the pan sits flat and stable on the burner.
- 16
Pour the pan drippings through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup to separate the liquid from the solids; discard solids.
- 17
Pour the strained liquid back into the roasting pan and stir once to combine.
- 18
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and butter with a fork until no lumps remain—it will look like wet sand.
- 19
Drop small spoonfuls of the flour-butter mixture into the simmering pan liquid and whisk constantly until no lumps remain.
- 20
Simmer the gravy over medium heat for 3 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
- 21
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the gravy into a serving boat or small pitcher.
- 22
Carve the pork by slicing straight down through the skin and meat against the grain into 0.5-inch-thick slices.
- 23
Arrange the slices on a serving platter, overlapping them slightly so the crackling faces upward.
- 24
Pour the warm gravy over the pork or serve it alongside in the pitcher.
Tools you’ll need
- kitchen scale
- paper towels
- small mixing bowl
- meat thermometer
- 12×16-inch roasting pan
- oven mitts
- cutting board
- aluminum foil
- fine-mesh strainer
- measuring cup
- stovetop
- whisk
- serving platter
- serving pitcher
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