German Roast Pig Spannferkel Recipes

GERMAN ROAST PIG (SPANNFERKEL)

Steps:

• Eviserate, clean, wash and pat the pig dry. Rub inside of pig with salt, marjoram and caraway seeds.
• Stuff the cavity with crumpled aluminum foil to prevent the meat sinking. Place the front legs forward with the feet under the head, position the rear legs and tie with string.
• Rub the outside with the seasonings. Cover ears and tail with foil to prevent burning. Prop the mouth open with a stck or raw potato so that you can stuff it with apple later.
• Pierce the skin all over with a fork so that the fat will drain off.
• Lay pig on a rack in an open roasting pan; pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
• To keep pig well greased as it cooks, either brush it with butter or bacon fat every 15 min or lay strips of bacon across its back, replacing them with more as they become crisp. Add more water as needed and pierce the skin with a fork at each basting.
• Sear the piglet in a hot oven, then roast in a moderate oven as follows:
• preheat oven to 450, put piglet in oven for 20 min and then reduce heat to 350.
• The meat should be white with no pink juices but not dried out.
• To serve, cut trussing from the legs and place the pig on a large platter.
• Remove the wood block or potato and insert an apple or an unpeeled lemon. You can further garnish by cutting a circle around the neck and covering it with a wreath of leaves or [at Christmas]holly.

AUTHENTIC SCHWEINEBRATEN GERMAN PORK ROAST BAVARIAN STYLE

Steps:

• wash and pat dry roast.
• mix all dry ingredients together and rub onto roast.
• spread a liberal amount of mustard onto roast.
• heat oil in a heavy roasting pan (enameled cast iron works well) on top of stove and brown carrots and leeks.
• push vegetables aside and brown roast from all sides in the very very hot roasting pan.
• ad onions INCLUDING the brown skins (this is VERY IMPORTANT since it will give your gravy an good color).
• ad broth and transfer everything to the oven.
• roast covered for 1 1/2 hours at 350°F.
• uncover, stir onions and veggies.
• turn roast over and roast uncovered for 1 hour (if liquid evaporates a lot, add some more occasionally.
• once roasting time has finished transfer meat to a plate to rest.
• take a basting brush, dip into the hot liquid and scrub all the sides of the roasting pan (and the lid if necessary). All the brown stains on the walls of your pan will ad flavor and color to your sauce!
• strain all the liquid through a fine meshed strainer (stainless steel will work better then the plastic ones). Press solids vigorously with a spoon to press as much liquid (as well all solids that can get pressed through) through the strainer into a sauce pan and reduce slightly on high heat.
• Slice roast into 1/2 thick slices and pour gravy liberally over everthing.
• Best served with potato dumplings and sauerkraut.