Oma's Pork Hocks and Sauerkraut 

➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson

Pork hocks and sauerkraut, aka Eisbein und Sauerkraut, was a favorite of my Opa. It's a really old traditional German meal especially well known in the Berlin area.

German pork hocks are usually cooked from raw rather than smoked. Although I admit, if I can find smoked pork hocks, I'll buy them. They're just like ham and are great in a potato or pea soup.

Fresh pork hocks are another matter. They may be difficult to find in many grocery stores and you may need to go to a deli or a butcher.

All that fat and bones!?!

When you look at the hocks, you may see nothing but fat and bones. So, look for meaty ones and you'll be surprised by the delicious taste of the tender meat. The long slow cooking makes the hocks tender, yet retaining their juiciness.

When serving, you can cut away the fat. Traditionally though, this was eaten, just dunked in mustard!

I used to wonder how healthy this could be? Yet my Opa ate lots of "fatty" meats and little vegetables. He lived to his late 80's. Me, however, I cut away most of the fat!

Looking for Schweinshaxn? Crispy roasted hocks?

If you prefer the hocks to have a crispy crust as in this photo, then follow the recipe for Schweinshaxn. This one is started on the stove and finished in the oven. A bit more work, but worth it. There's also a recipe there for just doing it in the oven.

In comparison to the Schweinshaxn, the recipe below is an easy and quick one to prepare, yet it does take some time to cook. Serve this with boiled potatoes for a traditional German meal.

Ready for some Eisbein?

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