Roasted Pork Knuckle with Cabbage

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients. You'll need green cabbage — half a medium head — plus a medium onion and carrot. I use spicy brown (Russian-style) mustard. The strained tomatoes in their own juice can be swapped for tomato sauce or tomato paste thinned with water. Soak the pork knuckle in cold water for an hour first, then scrape the skin clean with a knife and rinse it in cold water. Have an oven-safe baking dish ready.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the onion and carrot and rinse them under cold running water. Cut both into small dice. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet and sauté the diced onion and carrot for a few minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage and shred it into strips. Add the shredded cabbage to the skillet along with a tablespoon of soy sauce and the tomatoes (reserving one tablespoon of tomato). Stir and cook everything together for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.

4. Step 4:

   

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In a deep bowl, combine the reserved tablespoon of tomato, the soy sauce, mustard, and two or three cloves of pressed garlic. Stir until well blended.

5. Step 5:

   

   Spread the sautéed cabbage evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Make slits in the pork knuckle with a knife and stud them with garlic cloves. Set the knuckle on top of the cabbage and coat the meat all over with the prepared marinade.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cover the dish tightly with foil and place it in the preheated oven for two hours. To check for doneness, pierce the side of the knuckle with a sharp knife — the juices should run clear.

7. Step 7:

   

   Carefully take the finished knuckle and cabbage out of the oven. Let it cool a little so it's easier to carve into pieces. It's a meal in itself: serve the meat with the cabbage, and add boiled potatoes on the side if you like.