Crispy German Pork Shank & Potato Dumplings (Schweinshaxe & Kartoffelklöße)

Raise your steins and prepare your taste buds for a classic Oktoberfest delight: Crispy Schweinshaxe (Pork Shank) with Kartoffelklöße (Potato Dumplings)! This dish embodies the heart of Bavarian comfort food, featuring tender, juicy pork shanks with perfectly crispy skin, served alongside fluffy potato dumplings that soak up a rich, beer-infused gravy. With the flavors of juniper, caraway, and dark German beer, this festive specialty brings the authentic taste of Munich’s beer halls right to your table. Pair it with sauerkraut and a cold beer, and let the Oktoberfest celebrations begin in your own crib. It’s one of the things I like to make to welcome in the Fall. Prost, my dawg!🤘🏼Adam

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Before crisping in a high heat oven (left). After crisping (right)

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Stuff I Use...

Parchment Paper

9-inch Springform Pan

My Cookware Set

My Dutch Oven

My Induction Burner

Deli Containers

Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth)

Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids

Portable Single-burner Stove

Butane Torch

Butane Canisters

Coarse Reinforced Strainer

Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer

Sheet Trays

The BEST Smash Burger Spatula

Cutting Board Scraper

Ice Cream Maker

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Yield: 4-6

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Crispy German Pork Shank & Potato Dumplings

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

For the German Spice Blend (yields 1/4 cup)

• 1 tsp Juniper berries
• 1 Tbsp Fennel seeds
• 1 Tbsp Caraway seeds
• 1 Tbsp Black pepper
• 1 Tbsp Salt

For the Pork

• 2 (3-pound) Pork Hind Shanks (Hocks)
• 2 cups Dark German Beer (plus more for basting)
• 4 cups Chicken or Beef Stock
• 2 Celery stalks, chopped
• 1 Onion, quartered
• 2 Carrots, halved
• 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 Fennel bulb, halved
• 2-3 Bay Leaf, fresh
• 2-3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1 Apple, cored and quartered

For the Gravy

• 1/4 cup Cornstarch (mixed with 1/4 cup cold water for slurry)

For the Potato Dumplings

• 1.5 pounds Starchy Potatoes (like Russets)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt (plus more for boiling water)
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 cup Potato Starch
• 1/2 tsp White Pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the German spice blend ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the pork shanks generously with the spice blend and salt. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate overnight, uncovered, to dry out the skin.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (convection if available). Pierce the skin of the pork in several places to allow steam to escape, then score the skin. Roast on a wire rack over a roasting pan for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 280°F and continue roasting for 3-4 hours, until tender and the skin is darkened. Baste with beer twice during cooking.
3. Add chopped vegetables, stock, and beer to the bottom of the roasting pan to create a base for the gravy.
4. When the shank is cooked, increase the oven heat to the highest setting or use a blow torch to crisp the skin to a deep golden brown.
5. Strain the liquid from the vegetables and skim some fat from the top. Reduce the liquid by 1/4 in a saucepan and thicken with the cornstarch slurry.
6. For the dumplings, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Rice the potatoes into a large bowl while still warm. Add egg, potato starch, white pepper, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix until a non-sticky dough forms.
7. Shape the dough into 10-12 balls, slightly larger than a golf ball. Simmer in salted water until the dumplings float to the surface, about 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
8. Serve the crispy pork shank on a plate with the beer gravy, potato dumplings, sauerkraut, and a cold beer.

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