Pork Knuckle in Barbecue Sauce

The sweet and sour and the intense texture of American barbecue sauce can be adapted with an Italian twist using typical ingredients such as red wine or Mediterranean aromatic herbs. Here’s how you could prepare an Italian-style pork knuckle in barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 pork knuckle (about 1-1.5 kg)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 glass of red wine (opt for a Chianti or Sangiovese to stay on the Italian theme)
• 500 ml of barbecue sauce (you can prepare it at home by mixing ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and a pinch of chili pepper)
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 sprig of thyme

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
2. Season the pork knuckle with salt and pepper, then brown it in a large frying pan with extra virgin olive oil until it is golden on all sides.
3. Transfer the knuckle to an oven dish.
4. In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic until they become translucent, then deglaze with the red wine and let reduce for a few minutes.
5. Add the homemade barbecue sauce and aromatic herbs to the sauté, mixing well.
6. Pour the resulting sauce over the pork knuckle in the oven dish.
7. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for about 2.5 - 3 hours. If necessary, during cooking, baste the knuckle with its cooking juices to keep the meat soft and juicy.
8. Remove the aluminum foil in the last half hour of cooking to caramelize the surface of the knuckle.
9. Once cooked, let the pork knuckle rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Fun Fact

The pork knuckle is a hearty dish much loved in both German (as Eisbein or Haxe) and Italian cuisine, particularly in northern areas such as South Tyrol, where you find it under the name “beer pork knuckle” (Schweinshaxe). The version with barbecue sauce represents a delicious encounter between American and Italian cuisine. Enjoy your meal!