German · Authentic-ish German
Schweinshaxe
438 kcal a serving, against 1017 for the traditional version. That is 579 kcal off, or 57%, with 68.3g of protein. Serves 4. 2 hours 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A whole pork knuckle on the bone, heavily salted and roasted in a very hot oven until the thick layer of skin and fat turns into brutal, beautiful crackling. It is usually served with potatoes fried in butter or heavily enriched potato dumplings, plus a vast amount of heavy beer.
What changed, and what each change costs
200g of pork fat and skin down to 0g
The fat is the first thing to go. It is 1,800 calories of pure lipid sitting on top of your dinner. Removing it leaves a huge chunk of extremely lean pork that hits the numbers perfectly.
What it costs you. Everything that makes the dish famous. You lose the crunch, the richness and the joy of the crackling. You can't pretend roasted lean pork is as good as crackling. It just isn't.
600g of potatoes and 50g of butter down to 600g of sauerkraut and 200g of apples
Potatoes roasted in butter add massive carbohydrate and fat loads to a plate that is already heavy. Sauerkraut brings acidity that cuts through the pork, and a grated apple brings a bit of sugar to balance the sharp cabbage.
What it costs you. You'll miss the starch. Sauerkraut is sharp and wet, which is brilliant with pork, but it does not soak up meat juices like a floury potato does. That's just a fact you have to live with.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1017 | 438 |
| Protein | 68.4g | 68.3g |
| Fat | 69.3g | 10.1g |
| Saturated fat | 28.7g | 3g |
| Carbohydrate | 26.9g | 16.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.7g | 15.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish German prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery.
The method is in the book
It is a heavy compromise. A pork knuckle without crackling is just a nice piece of roast pork. But the numbers do not lie. By binning the fat and the potatoes, you strip away over 1,000 calories a portion while keeping all the protein. It is a hearty, massive plate of food that actually fits into a normal diet.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish German, along with 54 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.