Recipes by GermanDeli.com customer,  Ulf Habermann (September 2005)

Eisbein

Depending on instruction from the butcher, soak cured Schweinhaxen (=Eisbein) in water. I guess it depends on how salty the meat has gotten during the curing process. After that, cook the Eisbein covered in Water with one onion, two carrots, two bay leaves, and 10 peppercorns for about 2 hours or until the meat comes easily off the bone. That is it for the Eisbein. Serve it with Sauerkraut and Potato dumplings and not to forget some medium Loewensenf or Thomysenf.

Potato dumplings:

Boil 2 lbs of potatoes the prior day with the skin still on. The day you want to prepare the dumplings, grate the potatoes or mash them with a potato masher, add 3 - 4 tablespoons of foamy butter and 3-4 eggs. Mix to a nice dough and salt according to your taste. Form dumplings and add to boiling water for app. 15 min.

 Sauerkraut:

Cut about 4 slices of bacon into little cubes and slowly cook the bacon until all fat has been turned liquid. Save bacon bits and fat in the refrigerator. Add a teaspoon of butter to a sauce pan. Cook about half an onion cut into small cubes until they become see-through. Do not brown them. Add Sauerkraut (I use boars head that comes in a bag since most of the canned products are not sour or crispy enough). Also add two whole garlic cloves. Cook the Sauerkraut for 45 minutes to 1 hour. During the last ten minutes, grate a pealed raw potato into the mixture (will bind the Sauerkraut nicely) with the finest grater setting you have. After that, add the bacon bits and some of the bacon grease to the Sauerkraut to add more flavor.

Anyhow, that is how we used to always eat Eisbein and how I had it made about 3 weeks ago in Berlin at the Mueggelsee. When eating it, I never shy away from also eating the nice soft skin and fat layer on the outside with some mustard. Not sure everybody likes that but I grew up with food like that and find it very tasty.