Oven-Roasted Pork Shanks with Rosemary and White Wine
Why this recipe works
- Crisp skin, tender meat: Starting hot helps blister the skin before the pork finishes gently in wine and stock.
- Simple, savoury depth: Garlic, rosemary, white wine and chicken stock create a deeply savoury pan sauce without a long ingredient list.
- Roast-braised finish: The combination of dry heat and moist cooking suits pork shank, helping the connective tissue soften while the exterior browns.
Get the most out of this recipe
Texture tips
- For better crackling-style skin: Pat the skin very dry before seasoning and keep the wine and stock around the pork rather than pouring them over the top.
- Cook until the meat relaxes: The pork should pull away from the bone and feel yielding; if it is still tight, give it a little longer at the lower oven temperature.
- Rest on a platter, not in the juices: Transfer the shanks out of the roasting pan before reducing the juices so the skin does not soften.
Timing notes
- Mostly hands-off cooking: The active work is mainly scoring, seasoning and reducing the juices; most of the time is spent in the oven.
- Rest before serving: A short rest helps the meat settle while the pan juices are skimmed and reduced.
- Best served after reducing the sauce: Serve once the juices look glossy and lightly concentrated, so they coat the pork rather than running thinly across the plate.
Ingredient notes
- Choose skin-on shanks: Skin-on pork knuckles give the dish its contrast of crisp exterior and rich, tender meat.
- Use a dry white wine: A dry wine keeps the sauce savoury and balanced; sweeter wines can make the pan juices taste heavy.
- Fresh rosemary is preferable: Fresh sprigs perfume the pan gently during roasting, while chopped leaves work well in the garlic rub.
Make-ahead tips
- Season ahead if useful: The pork can be rubbed with the garlic and rosemary paste in advance and kept covered in the fridge before roasting.
- Store pork and juices separately: Keeping the reduced juices separate helps protect the texture of the skin during storage.
- Reheat gently, then crisp: Warm with a splash of stock in a 170°C (340°F) oven until piping hot, then finish briefly at 220°C (430°F) to help re-crisp the skin.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Pat the pork knuckles dry, then score the skin in a shallow crosshatch, taking care not to cut into the meat. Crush the garlic and strip the rosemary leaves from 4 sprigs; keep the remaining rosemary sprigs for the pan.
- Mix the garlic, chopped rosemary leaves, fine sea salt, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil into a paste. Rub it all over the knuckles, working it into the scores and around the meat. Arrange the knuckles in a roasting pan, skin-side up, and tuck in the reserved rosemary sprigs.
- Roast for 25 minutes until the skin is starting to brown and blister. Carefully pour in the dry white wine and chicken stock around the knuckles, avoiding the skin so it stays crisp. Return to the oven.
- Reduce the oven to 170°C (340°F) and roast-braise for 75 to 85 minutes, turning the knuckles once halfway through. The meat should be very tender and pulling away from the bone, and the thickest part should reach at least 75°C (165°F). If the pan looks dry at any point, add a small splash of chicken stock.
- Transfer the knuckles to a warm platter and rest for 10 minutes. Skim excess fat from the pan juices, then pour the juices into a saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until glossy and lightly reduced. Spoon the reduced juices over the pork to serve.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Drying the skin well before seasoning helps it blister and crisp in the initial high-heat roast.
- If the skin needs extra colour at the end, raise the oven to 220°C (430°F) for 5 to 8 minutes, watching closely so the garlic does not burn.
- For anyone who is pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised, make sure the pork is cooked to at least 75°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
Substitutions
- Replace Dry White Wine with dry red wine for a deeper, more robust sauce.
- Replace Fresh rosemary with fresh thyme for a softer, more floral herb note.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Cool completely, then refrigerate the pork and juices separately in airtight containers. Reheat in a 170°C (340°F) oven with a splash of chicken stock until piping hot; finish with a brief blast at 220°C (430°F) to re-crisp the skin.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 2h 30min (25min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: Italian
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