Schäufele – Franconian Style

Preparation

1. 01

   Step 01

   Score the rind of the Schäufele in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife (about 1 cm apart), cutting only through the rind and fat—do not cut into the meat.

2. 02

   Step 02

   Rub the scored rind generously with salt, pepper, and caraway. Let the meat come to room temperature.

3. 03

   Step 03

   Coarsely chop the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and spread them evenly over the bottom of a large roasting pan.

4. 04

   Step 04

   Heat the lard in the roasting pan. Place the Schäufele rind-side up on top of the vegetables. Pour in the beer and stock (the liquid should not touch the rind).

5. 05

   Preheat oven to 220°C conventional heat

   Place the uncovered roasting pan in the preheated oven and roast at 220 °C conventional heat for 30 minutes, until the rind begins to curl and turn golden brown.

6. 06

   Reduce oven to 160°C

   Reduce the temperature to 160 °C and roast the Schäufele uncovered for another 2,5 hours. Baste with the pan juices every 30 minutes (only the meat, not the rind).

7. 07

   Step 07

   Remove the meat from the roasting pan, place on a cutting board, and let rest for 15 minutes. Set the roasting pan with the vegetables and juices on the stovetop.

8. 08

   Bring sauce to a boil

   Pour the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Press the vegetables to extract their juices. Bring the sauce to a boil and thicken with cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with a little cold water). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

9. 09

   Step 09

   Cut the rind into portions with a sharp knife. Slice the meat against the grain into slices about 1 cm thick and serve with the pan gravy.