Berlin-style poached pork knuckle with pea purée

Soak peas in plenty of cold water for about 12 h in the refrigerator at no more than 4 °C, then discard the water and rinse. Peel the carrot and celeriac. Trim and wash the leek. Peel the onions. Roughly chop the soup vegetables and 200 g onion. Put knuckles, vegetables and this onion in a tall pot with a capacity of 6000 ml. Add all the measured water, which must cover the knuckles in the suitable pot. Add a spice bag with 0.6 g bay, all allspice, 1 g juniper and all peppercorns. Heat slowly, skim and poach covered at a gentle simmer for about 120 min until meat releases easily from the bone. Extend if needed. Keep the skin soft. Do not roast.

During poaching, cook peas in a separate pan of unsalted water for about 60 min until very tender. Drain and discard remaining free water. Take cooked pork broth, strain and separately measure 100 ml for pea purée and 150 ml for sauerkraut. Blend peas with the first measure of broth, all the butter and all the ground pepper. Keep hot.

Chop 100 g onion and soften in all the lard for about 5 min. Add all the sauerkraut with juice, its reserved broth measure and remaining 0.2 g bay and 1 g juniper in a small spice bag. Cover and cook gently for 30 min. Brown 62.5 g ham in all the oil and fold into the sauerkraut, retaining the pan with residual fat.

Chop the remaining 100 g onion and brown it with 62.5 g ham in the same frying pan for about 5 min. Lift out the tender knuckles, remove bones and hard fragments and divide all edible meat with purée, sauerkraut and all the onion-ham topping. Remove every spice bag. Discard the remaining broth.