German pig
feet is a prestigious dish all over the world, and also a traditional German
delicacy, especially popular in Bavaria area. The Germans call it” Eisbein” which
means “ice leg” in German. It was because the Germans used the bone of pig feet
to serve as the ice skates to slide on the frozen lake.
Eisbein is
usually made of the hind leg with thicker fat. After being pickled, Eisbein
will be boiled or roasted. Then the Germans will relish it with Sauerkraut and
beer.
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| Eisbein |
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| Eisbein and Sauerkraut |
There are many
ways to do Eisbein, and the ways are usually various form South to North.
Generally speaking, people summarize them as” roasted in the South and boiled
in the North.”
The South─Bavaria area
1)
Smoked Eisbein
Smoked Eisbein is to
smock the boiled Eisbein with German traditional seasonings. It has the aroma
of charcoal and looks shiny and slick. It tastes soft but chewy, especially the
part of fat. However, it is time-consuming to cook the dish. Not only do you
need to prepare more the 20 kinds of seasonings, but also need to smock it
slowly and patiently. But after finishing smocking, you then cut it in flake,
prepare a glass of black beer or dark malt and you will find
all of the effort worthwhile as soon as the chewy Eisbein melt in your mouth!
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| Smoked Eisbein |
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| Smoked Eisbein |
2)
Roasted Eisbein
Roasted Eisbein
is more easily to make. It can be roasted by ovens or charcoal fire, and it is
also the most common way in Taiwanese restaurants. Roasted Eisbein features the
crisp but not dry skin and chewy plump meat. Sometimes, the meat will be
enjoyed with mustard, horseradish, and pepper. Finally, of
course, you can’t taste the most authentic way of roasted Eisbein without a
glass of cool beer beside!
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| Roasted Eisbein |
The North─ Berlin area
It is hard to
roast Eisbein in the North because of the
weather. The locals boil food more often. During boiling Eisbein, they often
add some sauerkraut and many kinds of spices,
which is like “stew” in Chinese culture. The taste is different far from the
roasted one definitely. It tastes softer and blander, and most important of
all, it has reduced lots of fat! The typical boiled Eisbein must has garnishes
beside like German sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and potato. When you enjoy the
boiled Eisbein, the locals will recommend you to eat the meat with all the
garnishes and German mustard sauce. After being boiled for long, the Eisbein
becomes soft and not greasy. The aroma of meat and sauerkraut will be soon full
of your mouth, which is considered to be the feast to one’s taste buds!
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| Boiled Eisbein |
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Boiled Eisbein and German sauerkraut
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