The term Schweinshaxe is typically used in the southern parts of Germany, predominantly in Bavaria, and it usually refers to a whole pork knuckle that is roasted for hours until it is thoroughly cooked and the skin becomes golden brown and crispy. Pork knuckles are a staple in traditional German cuisine, and they come with various names such as hachse, haxe, haxn, knöchla, hechse, hämmchen, and bötel, mainly depending on the region and a slightly different preparation process. Eisbein is the northern version of the dish that is typically cured or pickled and then boiled. Though it is commonly found in restaurants throughout the country and the region, Schweinshaxe is a quintessential dish at the popular folk festival Oktoberfest. The knuckle is almost always served whole, and it's usually accompanied by sauerkraut, braised cabbage, roasted potatoes, or potato dumplings. Similar dishes are found in other European countries, such as pečené vepřové koleno in the Czech Republic.
Schäufele is a traditional dish from the south of Germany, using pig’s shoulder as the main ingredient. Depending on the region, the meat can be cured and smoked beforehand, seasoned, and then it is either roasted or boiled. Additional ingredients may include various spices, onions, and root vegetables. A typical Franconian version of the dish is served with gravy, potato dumplings, and a salad on the side, while the smoked and cured version from Baden is usually accompanied by a potato salad.
Spanferkel is the German version of roasted suckling pig. Whether it is prepared cut or whole, the piglet is usually roasted in the oven or on a spit, and comes in numerous regional varieties that are often smothered in oil or butter, stuffed, then seasoned or rubbed with spices. In Germany, suckling pig is traditionally associated with festive and special occasions and is usually accompanied by a sauce made from meat drippings, or various vegetables and salads.
Schweinebraten is a traditional pork roast originating from Bavaria. It is typically prepared for Sunday lunch and consists of sliced pork roast that's served with homemade gravy, semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or potato dumplings, and either sauerkraut or rotkohl (red cabbage). When properly prepared, the meat should be succulent and very tender. The best part of pork to use for this dish is boneless pork shoulder. Before the preparation, pork is often rubbed with mustard, marjoram, or minced garlic, giving it a bit of extra flavor. For the best possible experience, it is recommended to pair the dish with a cold German beer on the side, preferably a lager.
A barbecue specialty hailing from Saarland, schwenkbraten consists of marinated pork steaks that are grilled on a schwenker, a unique grill which is suspended from a tripod and swung over an open wood fire by a schwenkmeister (the person doing the grilling). The pork steaks used in the dish are typically neck cuts, but other pork cuts will also do. They are usually left to soak in the marinating mixture overnight or up to 3 days. Typical ingredients used in the marinade include dried thyme, dried oregano, onions, salt, black pepper, garlic, juniper berries, oil, and (optionally) German Riesling wine. With a crispy crust on the outside and succulent and tender meat on the inside, these grilled pork steaks are typically paired with a glass of fine German Riesling or beer, along with various side dishes such as potato salads, fresh salads, roasted vegetables, and bread rolls.
Eisbein is a German dish, traditionally served in Berlin. The name, which when translated means ice leg refers to a pork knuckle or pork hock which is first cured or pickled and then boiled with vegetables and herbs. In Berlin, the hock is served bone-in on a bed of sauerkraut accompanied by mashed potatoes or pea puree, usually with some mustard on the side. A similar dish exists in Poland – the golonka, which was probably influenced by the traditional Berliner eisbein.
Mutzbraten is a spit-roasted pork specialty originating from the Thuringia region. It consists of pork meat that is cut into pieces and then soaked in a marinade of water, salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, and onions. Traditionally roasted over a birch wood fire, this meat dish is typically accompanied by sauerkraut and fresh bread on the side.
Kassler is a traditional Oktoberfest dish made with cured and smoked pork. The meat is usually smoked with alder or beechwood. When served, pork is almost always accompanied by sauerkraut and mashed or boiled potatoes on the side. The origin of the name is still unknown, although some claim that it was named after a Berlin-based butcher called Cassel in the 19th century.
Saumagen is a large, intact pig’s stomach, densely packed with pork, diced potatoes, and sharp spices. The stomach is not merely a casing but an essential structural part of the meal. Unlike thin artificial casings or standard intestines, it is a thick, resilient, muscular organ that can hold a substantial amount of chopped meat and starch. During the final cooking stages, its outer wall forms a dense, crisp crust around the softer filling. Because of the organ’s size and toughness, the preparation requires considerable manual labor, from cleaning and processing the stomach to filling and securely sealing it. The stuffing depends on precise dicing and a broad mixture of aromatics, partly to balance the strong offal notes of the raw casing. The base is built from equal ratios of lean pork and firm, waxy potatoes, both chopped into small, even cubes. Some recipes also add minced beef to deepen the savoriness. The main seasoning blend is assertive, with generous amounts of white pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, dried marjoram, and sharply flavored chopped onions. In addition to the typical seasonings, many versions also add a more complex layer of aromatics, including whole cloves, crushed coriander seeds, fresh thyme, minced garlic, dried bay leaves, ground cardamom, sweet basil, earthy caraway seeds, sharp allspice, and flat-leaf parsley. Once the raw ingredients are fully mixed, the stuffing is packed tightly into the cleaned stomach cavity. Both open ends are tied firmly with heavy butcher’s twine to prevent leakage. Cooking the stuffed stomach requires strict temperature control. It is lowered into a wide vat of hot water kept just below the boiling point. A rolling boil must be avoided, because excessive turbulence and heat can rupture the muscular wall and spill the meat-and-potato filling into the cooking water. After a long period of poaching, the stuffed stomach is cooled completely. It is then placed on a heavy wooden block and sliced crosswise into thick slabs, usually measuring between half an inch and one inch. These large circular slices are fried in an open pan coated with rendered fat until the exposed potatoes turn dark golden brown and the outer ring of stomach tissue blisters into a hard, brittle shell. The history of saumagen is closely tied to the Palatinate. Two main theories explain its origins. One documented theory connects it to 18th-century agricultural workers who developed the stuffed stomach as a practical way to use slaughtering leftovers, stretching scraps of meat and fat with cheap potato starch. A second documented theory holds that it served as the centerpiece of the local Schlachtfest, the ceremonial autumn pig slaughter festival marking the end of the grape harvest and the beginning of winter. During the early 20th century, Luise Wilhelmine Henninger helped bring the preparation back from obscurity. She ran Weinhaus Henninger in the municipality of Kallstadt from 1871 to 1951 and refined the ingredient ratios, elevating saumagen to a celebrated regional specialty. Her success directly prompted a nearby Riesling vineyard in Kallstadt to adopt the permanent name “Saumagen Kallstadt.” Saumagen gained a much wider international profile in the late 20th century through Helmut Kohl, who served as Chancellor from 1982 to 1998 and had a strong attachment to this specialty from his native Palatinate. He regularly placed saumagen on state dinner menus, serving thick slices of stuffed stomach to visiting heads of state, including Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Although domestic critics dismissed the menu choice as intensely provincial, local butchers saw a major rise in sales during and immediately after these state visits. Across the Atlantic, immigrant settlers from the Palatinate carried the concept of saumagen into Pennsylvania Dutch communities in the United States. There, the dish is known as seimaage, hogmal, stuffed hog maw, or “Dutch goose.” Unlike the poached version from the Palatinate, this adaptation skips the water bath entirely. The raw stuffed stomach is placed directly into a hot oven and baked for several hours. It historically served as the main course for Thanksgiving harvest meals, taking the place of roasted turkey. Modern culinary competitions, especially the Internationale Pfälzer Saumagen-Wettbewerb held in Landau, have pushed the filling in more unconventional directions, including versions made with chopped deer meat or freshwater fish. In Schifferstadt, the Schlotte Carnival society has also awarded a literal Order of the Saumagen every year since 1992. At the table, the sizzling pan-fried slices are served straight from the skillet on a wide ceramic plate. A large, steaming mound of sharp fermented sauerkraut and a heavy scoop of smooth mashed potatoes sit beside the meat. In the eastern wine-growing districts of the Palatinate, the rich pork and starches are usually paired with a tall glass of completely dry white wine. Farther west, toward the dense Palatinate forest, large mugs of cold locally brewed beer replace the wine.
Rostbrätel is a traditional dish originating from the region of Thuringia. The dish is made with a combination of pork neck, onions, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, butter, and dark beer. The sliced pork neck is tenderized and marinated in salt, pepper, mustard, onions, and dark beer. It is then grilled over charcoal, and as it cooks, the meat is basted with the marinade. Once done, rostbrätel is topped with pan-fried onions and garlic before serving. It’s recommended to pair the dish with a glass of dark beer and serve it with bread rolls or potato salad on the side as accompaniments.
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