Eisbein

Name: Eisbein
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Germany
Ingredients: 2 pork knuckles (ham hocks); 1 onion, quartered; 2 carrots, chunked; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp black peppercorns; 1 tbsp caraway seeds; 2 lbs sauerkraut; 4 lbs potatoes, boiled

4 servings15 min prep150 min cookMedium Germany

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Eisbein

Story updated September 17, 2026

Eisbein, cured and boiled pork knuckle, is a hearty specialty of Berlin and northern Germany, part of a long tradition of using every cut of the pig. Its name, literally 'ice leg,' has a debated origin, with one theory holding that pork leg bones were historically fashioned into ice skates.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

2 pork knuckles (ham hocks)
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, chunked
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp caraway seeds
2 lbs sauerkraut
4 lbs potatoes, boiled

Instructions

1Simmer pork knuckles with onion, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns, and caraway in a large pot of water.
2Cook gently 2 to 2.5 hours until the meat is very tender.
3Warm the sauerkraut separately with a little of the cooking broth.
4Boil potatoes until tender.
5For crisp skin, finish the knuckles under a hot broiler for a few minutes.
6Serve the knuckles over sauerkraut with boiled potatoes and mustard.

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