Today we're heading to Germany — a country where culinary traditions are passed down from generation to generation. We'll prepare three legendary dishes that Germans have been making for centuries: crispy pork knuckle, hearty Swabian dumplings, and the famous Black Forest cherry cake.
🍖 Schweinshaxe (Schweinshaxe — Bavarian pork knuckle)
Crispy golden crust on the outside and the most tender, melting meat inside — the calling card of Bavarian beer halls. Served with sauerkraut and mustard.
Ingredients:
• Pork knuckle (hind shank) — 1 piece (1.2-1.5 kg)
• Dark beer — 500 ml
• Carrots — 2 pieces
• Yellow onion — 2 pieces
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Caraway — 1 tsp
• Juniper (berries) — 5-6 pieces
• Bay leaf — 2 pieces
• Coarse salt — 2 tbsp
• Black peppercorns — 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the knuckle
Thoroughly rinse the knuckle under cold water. With a sharp knife, make deep cuts (1 cm deep) across the entire skin surface in a grid pattern with 2-3 cm spacing — this will allow the fat to render and the skin to become crispy. Rub the knuckle with salt, caraway, and ground pepper on all sides, especially thoroughly working the spices into the cuts. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours (better overnight in the refrigerator).
Step 2. Preparing the vegetable bed
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the carrots and cut into large rings 2 cm thick. Peel the onion and cut into 4 parts. Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife along with the peel. On the bottom of a deep roasting pan, lay out the vegetables, add the juniper, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Pour in the beer and 200 ml of water. The vegetable bed should cover the bottom with a 3-4 cm layer.
Step 3. Initial roasting
Brush the knuckle with vegetable oil. Place it on the vegetable bed skin side up. Tightly cover the roasting pan with foil, creating an airtight "dome." Place in the preheated oven and roast for 2 hours at 200°C. During this time the meat will become tender and the fibers will begin to separate from the bone — check with a fork, the meat should pierce easily.
Step 4. Creating the crispy crust
Remove the foil. Increase the temperature to 220°C. Every 15 minutes, baste the knuckle with fat and juices from the bottom of the pan using a spoon or pastry brush. Continue roasting for another 40-50 minutes. The skin should become dark golden, bubbly, and crispy — when tapping with a fork you'll hear a characteristic ringing sound. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
Step 5. Checking doneness and rest
Pierce the meat at the bone with a thermometer — the internal temperature should be 80-85°C. The juice when pierced should be clear, without a pink tint. Remove the knuckle from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes under a light cover of foil — this will allow the juices to redistribute.
Step 6. Preparing the sauce
Strain the liquid from the bottom of the pan through a sieve into a saucepan, squeezing the vegetables. Place on medium heat and reduce by half — the sauce should thicken to the consistency of thin sour cream and acquire a rich dark color. Taste for salt, add more if necessary.
Step 7. Serving
Serve the knuckle whole on a large wooden board or cut into portions. Accompany with sauerkraut, boiled potatoes or dumplings, Bavarian mustard, and sauce. Be sure to serve dark beer and a sharp knife at the table — in Bavaria, knuckle is eaten with your hands!
💡 Fact: In Munich, Schweinshaxe is considered a classic beer snack, and the average weight of one portion is 1 kilogram! The tradition of roasting knuckle came from monasteries, where monks prepared it for big holidays.
🥟 Maultaschen (Maultaschen — Swabian dumplings)
Large square dumplings with meat-and-spinach filling — the pride of Swabian cuisine. Tender dough conceals a hearty, aromatic filling with herbs.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
• Wheat flour — 400 g
• Eggs — 4 pieces
• Water — 2 tbsp
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 1 tbsp
For the filling:
• Ground pork — 300 g
• Fresh spinach — 300 g (or frozen 200 g)
• White bread — 3 slices
• Milk — 100 ml
• Yellow onion — 1 piece
• Garlic — 2 cloves
• Egg — 1 piece
• Nutmeg — ¼ tsp
• Fresh marjoram (or parsley) — 2 tbsp
• Salt, black pepper — to taste
• Butter — 50 g for frying
For serving:
• Beef broth — 2 liters
• Butter — 30 g
• Green onion — for garnish
Preparation:
Step 1. Kneading the dough
On a clean work surface, sift the flour into a mound, make a well in the center. Beat in the eggs, add water, oil, and salt. With a fork, begin mixing the eggs with the flour from the center toward the edges, gradually incorporating more and more flour. When the mixture becomes lumpy, begin kneading by hand, working energetically with your palms. Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and stops sticking to your hands. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature — the gluten will relax, the dough will become pliable.
Step 2. Preparing the filling
Soak the bread in milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze out. Finely chop the onion into 3 mm cubes, crush the garlic with a press. In a pan, melt half the butter and sauté the onion until translucent (3-4 minutes over medium heat). Add the garlic, fry for 30 seconds until aromatic. Coarsely chop the spinach and add to the onion, braise for 2-3 minutes until liquid completely evaporates — the pan should be dry. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the ground meat, bread, spinach mixture, egg, chopped marjoram, nutmeg, salt (1 tsp), and pepper. Knead thoroughly by hand until uniform. The filling should hold its shape and be moist but not liquid.
Step 3. Rolling and shaping
Divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll one out on a flour-dusted surface into a rectangle measuring 30×40 cm and 2 mm thick — the dough should be translucent. Visually divide the sheet into 2 halves along the long side. On one half, place the filling with a tablespoon in the form of logs 8-10 cm long, stepping back 2 cm from the edge and leaving 3 cm between them. You should get 2 rows of 4-5 logs. Brush the edges and spaces between the filling with water using a brush.
Step 4. Sealing
Cover the filling with the second half of the dough. Press the dough firmly around each portion of filling, pushing air out from the center to the edges — air bubbles will lead to tearing during cooking. With your fingers, form clear seams between the future dumplings. With a pizza wheel or knife, cut into 8×10 cm squares. Press the edges with a fork, creating a decorative and airtight seam. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
Step 5. Boiling
Bring the broth (or salted water) to a boil in a large wide pot. Reduce heat to minimum — the liquid should barely ripple but not boil. Carefully lower the maultaschen in batches of 6-8 pieces, don't overload the pot. After 1-2 minutes the dumplings will float. From the moment they float, cook for another 8-10 minutes. The dough will become matte, slightly swollen, the filling will be fully cooked — when cut, the meat should be gray without pink areas.
Step 6. Final pan-frying (classic serving)
Remove the maultaschen with a slotted spoon, let drain. In a large pan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Place the dumplings in a single layer and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden spots and a light crispy crust form. The butter should foam but not burn.
Step 7. Serving
Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped green onion. The classic version is in strong beef broth with sliced pancakes (Flädlesuppe). Also served with sour cream or in fried onion sauce.
💡 Fact: Maultaschen are called "Herrgottsbscheißerle" — "cheaters of the Lord." According to legend, monks at Maulbronn monastery hid meat in dough with spinach so they could eat it during Lent when meat was forbidden!
🍰 Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry cake)
Legendary German cake with chocolate layers, whipped cream, cherries, and kirschwasser. Airy, moist, with a balance of chocolate and cherry tartness.
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
• Eggs — 6 pieces
• Sugar — 200 g
• Wheat flour — 100 g
• Cocoa powder — 50 g
• Melted butter — 50 g
• Baking powder — 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract — 1 tsp
For the soaking and filling:
• Cherries (pitted) — 600 g (fresh or frozen)
• Sugar — 100 g
• Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps) — 100 ml
• Cornstarch — 2 tbsp
For the cream:
• Heavy cream (35-38%) chilled — 800 ml
• Powdered sugar — 80 g
• Vanilla extract — 1 tsp
• Sheet gelatin — 2 sheets (or powdered 1 tsp)
For decoration:
• Dark chocolate — 100 g
• Fresh cherries with stems — 12-15 pieces
Preparation:
Step 1. Baking the chocolate sponge
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 24 cm diameter pan with parchment. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks with half the sugar (100 g) with a mixer for 3-4 minutes until pale and doubled in volume — the mixture should stream off in a ribbon. In a separate clean bowl, beat the whites with the remaining sugar to stiff peaks — when you invert the bowl, the mixture shouldn't move. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. To the yolks, add a third of the whites and gently mix with a spatula in upward motions. Add the dry ingredients, then the remaining whites, folding in as gently as possible. Last, fold in the melted cooled butter and vanilla. Pour into the pan, smooth. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Test for doneness: a wooden skewer comes out dry, the top springs back when pressed. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Cut the completely cooled cake horizontally into 3 equal layers with a long-blade knife.
Step 2. Preparing the cherry filling
Thaw the cherries (if frozen) and drain the juice into a saucepan — you should get about 200 ml. Add sugar, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tbsp cold water until smooth. Pour in a thin stream into the boiling juice, stirring continuously with a whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened — the mixture should become transparent and coat the spoon. Remove from heat, add the cherries and 4 tbsp kirschwasser. Cool to room temperature.
Step 3. Stabilized whipped cream
Soak the gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out and melt in a double boiler (or microwave for 10 seconds). Add 2 tbsp cream to the gelatin and quickly stir. Beat the remaining cream with a mixer on high speed with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks (3-4 minutes) — the cream should hold its shape but remain creamy. Pour in the gelatin mixture in a thin stream, continuing to beat for 30 seconds. Beat for another 1-2 minutes to stiff peaks — the cream should stay on the whisk and not fall off.
Step 4. Assembling the cake
Place the first layer on a plate. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp kirschwasser. Spread a third of the cream (1 cm thick layer), smooth. Distribute half the cherry filling, stepping back 1 cm from the edge. Cover with the second layer, repeat the soaking, cream, and cherries. Cover with the third layer, soak. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cream, using a spatula — with movements from center to edges, create a smooth surface. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (better overnight) — the cake will stabilize, the layers will soak through.
Step 5. Chocolate shavings
Slightly warm the chocolate in your hands to 25-28°C — it should be slightly warm but not soft. With a vegetable peeler or cheese knife, shave off long curls from the bar, holding it over a sheet of parchment. The shavings should curl into ringlets. If the chocolate crumbles — it's too cold, if it smears — too warm. Store the shavings in the refrigerator until decorating.
Step 6. Final decoration
Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Thickly cover the top and sides with chocolate shavings, pressing them to the cream with your palm — create a "chocolate forest" effect. In the center, arrange fresh cherries with stems in a circle. You can add cream rosettes using a pastry bag with a star tip.
Step 7. Serving
Before serving, chill the cake for another 30 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry — the cuts will be clean. Serve portions garnished with a mint leaf. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
💡 Fact: The cake originates from the Black Forest region (Schwarzwald) and owes its name to the traditional costume of local women: red pompoms on black hats symbolize cherries on chocolate! A real cake always contains kirschwasser — cherry brandy that is produced precisely in this region.