Golonka w piwie

The story

Golonka is the Polish name for pork knuckle, the lower part of the pig's leg; the word is a diminutive from the word for shin. Polish cooks stew it, bake it or roast it, and it is a close relative of German Eisbein. The cut is bony, fatty and covered with thick skin, so it needs long, slow cooking, which turns the meat soft and the skin either gelatinous or crisp. Polish home recipes commonly bed the knuckle on sauerkraut with onion, bay leaf, allspice and marjoram. Many add beer: some simmer the knuckle first, then roast it while basting it with a glass of beer, which browns the skin and adds a malty note to the pan juices. Recipes call for front or hind knuckles, and one per person makes a full meal. At the table golonka comes with horseradish and with bread or boiled potatoes. Plan on three hours, almost all of it hands-off; the simmering can be done the day before.