Eisbein is pork knuckle, a hearty and comforting dish to enjoy especially on a cold winter’s day. Like many German specialties, its preparation varies from region to region, but the basis is always a very long cooking process that makes the meat so tender it melts in your mouth.Similar to a Polish dish called golanka, eisbein begins with the cut of meat from which it takes its name. Meaning "ice leg" in German, eisbein refers to the leg bone of the ham hock that is used in the preparation of this dish. The ham hock is a piece of pork that comes from under the ham and above the feet, similar to the ankle or wrist joint, so it is sometimes called a pork shank. This cut of meat is quite flavorful, due to the marbled texture of fat and meat, but it is also quite tough and requires long, slow cooking for proper preparation.
