Berliner Eisbein mit Erbspüree (Pork Knuckle with Pea Purée)

In Berlin’s traditional cooking, Eisbein refers to cured or fresh pork knuckle gently simmered until the skin turns soft and gelatinous and the meat loosens from the bone. Here it is cooked with onion, carrot, celeriac, bay, peppercorns and parsley, giving the broth a savoury backbone without masking the pork. A smooth pea purée brings sweetness and colour to the plate, while mustard adds the sharpness that keeps the richness in check. It is hearty, straightforward food, best served piping hot with a spoonful of cooking liquor for extra juiciness.
Cuisine style Berlin-style German comfort food
Flavor profile Savoury • Rich • Herby
Techniques Gentle simmering • Blending
Key equipment Stockpot • Blender
Cooking style Slow-cooked • Make-ahead friendly • Freezer-friendly
Time commitment Slow-cooked

Why this recipe works

  • Gentle simmering: Slow, steady cooking softens the skin and connective tissue while keeping the pork moist and tender.
  • Smooth pea purée: Blending hot peas with butter creates a vivid, creamy side that balances the richness of the pork.
  • Mustard for balance: Serving mustard at the table adds sharpness, cutting through the savoury broth and fatty pork.
  • Good for planning ahead: The pork can be cooled in its cooking liquor and reheated gently, making the long simmer easier to manage.

Get the most out of this recipe

Timing notes

  • Mostly hands-off cooking: The active preparation is brief; the main time commitment is the gentle simmer needed to make the knuckle tender.
  • Cook the peas last: Prepare the pea purée close to serving so it stays bright green and smooth.
  • Rest before serving: A short rest after lifting out the pork helps the meat settle before it is served with the purée.

Authenticity notes

  • Berlin-style Eisbein: Unlike crisp-roasted pork knuckle, Berliner Eisbein is simmered until soft and tender, commonly served with pea purée and mustard.
  • Aromatic cooking liquor: Onion, carrot, celeriac, bay and peppercorns season the pork as it cooks and create a useful broth for serving or reheating.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling too hard: Keep the pot at a steady, gentle simmer; a rolling boil can tighten the meat and make the broth cloudy.
  • Watery pea purée: Drain the peas well and add reserved cooking water gradually, only as needed to loosen the texture.
  • Serving without broth: If the pork looks dry after resting, spoon over a little hot cooking liquor for extra juiciness.

Make-ahead tips

  • Keep components separate: Refrigerate the pork and broth separately from the pea purée so each reheats cleanly.
  • Reheat gently: Warm the pork in its broth until piping hot, and reheat the purée over a low heat with a little water if it has thickened.
  • Freeze with broth: For freezing, pack the cooked pork with some cooking liquor to help protect its texture during storage and reheating.

Equipment you'll need

Ingredients

Pork knuckle

Pea purée and to serve

Instructions
Print
  1. Rinse the pork knuckles under cold water. Peel the onion, carrots and celeriac, then cut them into large chunks so they hold their shape during simmering.
  2. Put the pork knuckles in a stockpot and add the onion, carrots, celeriac, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and parsley. Cover with cold water by about 3 cm, then bring to a gentle boil and immediately reduce to a steady simmer.
  3. Simmer very gently for 2 hours, skimming any foam in the first 20 minutes. The knuckles are ready when the skin is soft and the meat pulls easily from the bone.
  4. About 10 minutes before serving, cook the peas in a saucepan of boiling water until tender and bright green. Drain well, reserving a splash of the hot cooking water.
  5. Blend the peas with the butter until smooth, adding a little reserved cooking water to loosen if needed. Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt if you like.
  6. Lift out the pork knuckles and let them rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the pea purée. Offer the mustard at the table, and spoon over a little of the hot cooking liquor if you want extra juiciness.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.

Recipe notes

Tips

  • Keep the simmer very gentle; a hard boil can tighten the meat and make the broth cloudy.
  • For a smoother purée, blend while the peas are still hot and drain them thoroughly so it stays vivid and not watery.
  • If serving vulnerable people, make sure the pork is cooked until the meat is very tender and piping hot throughout.

Substitutions

  • Replace Mustard with Bavarian sweet mustard for a milder, sweeter finish.
  • Replace Unsalted butter with Salted butter, then reduce the Fine sea salt slightly when seasoning the purée.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days
  • Cool the pork and broth quickly, then refrigerate separately from the pea purée. Reheat the pork gently in the broth until piping hot; reheat the purée over a low heat, stirring often, and add a spoonful of water if it thickens.

Ratings & reviews

Liked this recipe? Share your feedback to support our cooking community.

Tried this recipe?

Choose 1–5 stars. A comment is optional.

If you leave a comment, use 10–500 characters.

Stay inspired

Discover new recipes, seasonal favourites and cooking inspiration every day. Follow JustRecipes on Pinterest and Spillt.

Recipe overview

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Total time: 2h 45min (25min active)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cuisine: German
  • Allergens:
    Milk Mustard
Beginner friendly Freezer friendly Kid friendly

Plan your meals and get a complete grocery list automatically.

Add to meal planner

Equipment you'll need

Advertisement

Recommended tools for this recipe

Best overall

WMF Mini Saucepan 16 cm with Lid

Compact stainless steel saucepan
  • High-quality stainless steel
  • Even heat distribution
  • Higher price point

Got ingredients left?

Find recipes using ingredients from this recipe or what you already have at home.

Find recipes with these ingredients →

Make this recipe easier next time

Advertisement

These tools help you get better results with less effort.

Best overall

WMF Mini Saucepan 16 cm with Lid

Compact stainless steel saucepan
  • High-quality stainless steel
  • Even heat distribution
  • Higher price point
Best value

T-fal Specialty Nonstick Handy Pot with Glass Lid 3 Quart

Affordable nonstick saucepan
  • Easy food release
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Not induction compatible
Top quality

All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saucepan

Professional-grade tri-ply saucepan
  • Excellent heat control
  • Premium build quality
  • Expensive

Browse alphabetically

Looking for a specific recipe? Choose a letter below to jump directly to recipes starting with that letter or number.

Enjoy cooking with JustRecipes?

Add JustRecipes as one of your preferred Google sources to discover our recipes more easily across Google Search.

Add JustRecipes to Google

Every recipe on JustRecipes follows the same structured editorial process. Learn how recipes are created, validated, translated, illustrated, and continuously improved across the platform. How we create recipes.