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Meat, European

Bavarian pork roast with knödel

Schweinebraten is a Bavarian pork roast braised in beer, served with knödel and a brown gravy. This recipe serves 4, takes 2 hours 30 minutes, has a medium difficulty level and costs about €3.50 per serving. Success comes down to drying and scoring the rind well so it puffs up and turns crackling in the oven.

This Sunday, I suggest a Bavarian Schweinebraten, a pork shoulder roasted in beer with a crackling crust, served with knödel and a brown gravy.

Bavarian pork roast with knödel
Total time
2 h 30
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
850 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Schweinebraten is the pork roast you find on Bavarian tables every Sunday. Beer soaks into the meat as it roasts and turns into a brown gravy with a slight tang that cuts through the richness of the pork shoulder. The rind itself puffs up into a crackling crust you can break apart with a spoon.

Knödel, those soft bread dumplings, soak up the gravy and balance out the richness of the meat. This is a Sunday recipe, the kind you make when you have time to watch a roast for two hours and people coming over for dinner. Mon Chou walks you through it step by step so the rind really puffs up.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork shoulder with rind 1.2 kg

Pantry

  • Lager beer 40 cl
  • Cumin seedsoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Carrot 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 4 sprigs

Bakery

  • Stale bread 250 g

Dairy

  • Milk 20 cl
  • Egg 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Score the rind, then rub the meat with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and crushed garlic.

    Dry the rind well before seasoning, that is the key to a crackling crust.

  2. Place the meat rind side down in a roasting dish with the roughly chopped onions and carrot, pour in a third of the beer and roast at 180°C. 30 min

    The roast starts rind side down so it colors without burning.

  3. Flip the roast rind side up, baste it with beer regularly and continue roasting. 1 h 30

    Baste the sides only, the rind must stay dry.

  4. Make the knödel by mixing the diced bread with warm milk, the egg and parsley, shape into balls and drop them into barely simmering water. 20 min

    Test with one ball first to check it holds together.

  5. Strain the cooking juices with the vegetables through a sieve, let it reduce slightly and serve with the sliced roast and the knödel. 5 min

    Run the roast under the broiler for the last five minutes for a well puffed rind.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well marbled pork shoulder, the fat that melts during roasting keeps the meat moist.
  • Let the roast rest for ten minutes under foil before slicing, the juices settle back into the meat.
  • If the rind doesn't puff up enough, finish it under the broiler and watch it closely, it goes from crackling to burnt fast.

The variations

  • Swap the lager for a dark beer for a richer, darker gravy.
  • For a meatless version, roast a whole cauliflower with the same spices and serve it with the knödel and vegetable gravy.
  • On busy nights, use store bought knödel to poach instead of homemade, the roast stays the same.

What to serve it with

  • Braised red cabbage with apples
  • A Bavarian lager
  • Cucumber salad with dill

Storage

The roast and knödel keep for two to three days in the fridge in a sealed container. Sliced meat freezes well with a bit of gravy, knödel don't hold up as well in the freezer. Reheat gently in a pan or oven with some gravy so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you make Bavarian pork roast ahead of time?

Yes, you can roast it the day before and reheat it gently in the oven with its gravy. The rind loses some crackle, so run it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

What bread works best for knödel?

Day old bread works best, ideally a country loaf or a stale baguette. Fresh bread makes the knödel too dense because it doesn't absorb the milk properly.

Why isn't my rind getting crackling?

The rind needs to be very dry before seasoning and should stay rind side up without basting toward the end of cooking. A few minutes under the broiler helps it puff up.

Can you freeze knödel?

Cooked knödel can be frozen but they lose some of their softness once thawed. It's better to make the dough ahead and poach the balls right before serving.

How long does it take to make a Schweinebraten, Bavarian beer braised pork roast with knödel and gravy?

Count 2 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Schweinebraten, Bavarian beer braised pork roast with knödel and gravy?

About 850 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Schweinebraten, Bavarian beer braised pork roast with knödel and gravy cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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