Name: Łódź-Style Pork Knuckle with Braised Cabbage (Golonka z kapustą zasmażaną)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 255 min
Total time: 305 min
Yield: 4 generous servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1.5 kg fresh bone-in pork shank, front or rear, skin on; not cured or smoked; 2.5 L water; 2 bay leaves; 4 allspice berries; 8 black peppercorns; 8 g fine salt for the simmering liquid; 1 medium carrot, about 100 g, scrubbed and halved; 1 parsley root, about 100 g, scrubbed and halved; 80 g celeriac, peeled and cut into large pieces; 1 small onion, about 100 g, peeled and halved; 1 kg sauerkraut, drained; rinse briefly only if very salty; 120 g smoked bacon, diced; 30 g pork back fat, finely diced; 1 medium onion, about 120 g, finely chopped; 0–1 g fine salt, optional after tasting; 1 g black pepper, or to taste; 250 ml water for simmering the cabbage; 1 tsp dried marjoram, about 1 g; 1 bay leaf; 330 ml Polish-style lager, divided for basting; Mustard, horseradish and bread, optional for serving

A whole roasted pork knuckle and braised sauerkraut with bacon and onion on a rustic table, shown in a wide composition.

Yield 4 generous servings

Serving size one quarter of the edible cooked shank and cabbage; bone and optional sides excluded

Dietary classification contains pork; beer and optional bread contain gluten

Prep time 35 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Recipe at a glance

Łódź-Style Pork Knuckle with Braised Cabbage (Golonka z kapustą zasmażaną)

Excerpt: Tender, beer-basted pork knuckle meets tangy cabbage fried with bacon, onion and pork fat in this hearty Łódzkie home-style dish.

Golonka z kapustą zasmażaną is listed by Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture as a traditional product from the Łódzkie region, associated with Nagawki in the Dmosin municipality. The recorded dish pairs boiled and oven-browned bone-in pork shank with thick fried cabbage. The description mentions marjoram, bay leaf and beer, and names mustard, horseradish or bread as possible accompaniments.

The official entry gives two different shank sizes: about 800 g in its product description and 1–1.5 kg in a local interview. This practical recipe uses a 1.5 kg shank for four generous servings. It also chooses sauerkraut for the cabbage, since the entry describes a mildly sour flavor but does not specify the cabbage type or measured quantities. That choice is stated openly; this is a measured home version, not an exact producer formula.

First simmer the shank with whole spices and vegetables until tender, then roast it for about 40 minutes, basting with beer. While it cooks, soften drained sauerkraut and fold it through bacon, pork back fat and onion fried until golden. The result should be moist, substantial and gently tangy, with glossy browned skin on the pork.

Tips for success

Choose a fresh, uncured bone-in shank with skin; the source describes either a front or rear leg.
Keep raw pork and its utensils separate from cooked food, and wash hands and surfaces after handling.
Maintain a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil so the meat cooks evenly.
Add the simmering vegetables after the shank has softened for about 90 minutes; test tenderness with a fork.
Taste the sauerkraut before adding salt. Rinse it briefly only if it is unusually salty, knowing it will lose some tang.
Drain the cooked cabbage well before frying it with bacon, fat and onion.
Baste the shank twice during the oven finish so the skin browns while the meat stays moist.
Insert a food thermometer into the thickest edible part without touching bone; confirm at least 62.8°C, then continue cooking until fork-tender.

Ingredients

Shank and aromatic simmer

1.5 kg fresh bone-in pork shank, front or rear, skin on; not cured or smoked
2.5 L water
2 bay leaves
4 allspice berries
8 black peppercorns
8 g fine salt for the simmering liquid
1 medium carrot, about 100 g, scrubbed and halved
1 parsley root, about 100 g, scrubbed and halved
80 g celeriac, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 small onion, about 100 g, peeled and halved

Fried cabbage

1 kg sauerkraut, drained; rinse briefly only if very salty
120 g smoked bacon, diced
30 g pork back fat, finely diced
1 medium onion, about 120 g, finely chopped
0–1 g fine salt, optional after tasting
1 g black pepper, or to taste
250 ml water for simmering the cabbage

Oven finish and serving

1 tsp dried marjoram, about 1 g
1 bay leaf
330 ml Polish-style lager, divided for basting
Mustard, horseradish and bread, optional for serving

Method

Directions

Start the simmer.Keep the raw shank separate from ready-to-eat foods. Bring the water, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 8 g salt to a boil in a 6–8 L pot. Add the shank, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and skim any foam during the first 15 minutes.
Cook until tender.After about 90 minutes, add the carrot, parsley root, celeriac and small onion. Continue simmering gently until a fork enters the thickest part easily and the meat loosens from the bone, about 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes total, depending on the joint. Check the thickest edible part away from bone with a food thermometer; it must reach at least 62.8°C. Lift the shank out and let it drain briefly.
Prepare the cabbage.Put the drained sauerkraut in a 4–5 L saucepan with 250 ml water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 35–45 minutes until tender, then drain well. Meanwhile, cook the diced bacon and pork back fat in a skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes to render the fat. Add the chopped onion and fry for 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the drained cabbage and fry for 8–10 minutes, folding until hot and cohesive. Taste before adding any salt.
Baste and roast.Heat a conventional oven to 190°C. Set the shank in a roasting dish, rub it with marjoram and tuck in the bay leaf. Pour 100 ml beer around the meat. Roast for about 40 minutes, basting twice with the pan liquid and more beer. The skin should turn glossy golden-brown; the meat should remain tender.
Rest and serve.Rest the shank for 15 minutes. Serve it hot with the fried cabbage and optional mustard, horseradish or bread. If holding before serving, keep the food at 60°C or hotter.

Nutrition and allergens

Energyabout 760 kcal per serving
Proteinabout 49 g
Fatabout 52 g
Saturated fatabout 19 g
Carbohydratesabout 15 g
Sugarsabout 7 g
Fibreabout 6 g

Beer contains barley and gluten; optional bread may contain wheat and gluten. Check labels for the specific products used. Handle raw pork separately, cook it to at least 62.8°C and continue until fork-tender. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them throughout to 74°C.

Nutrition and allergens

Serving, make-ahead and storage: Bring the shank and cabbage to the table hot. Mustard, horseradish and bread are named accompaniments in the regional description. The sauerkraut should be soft and thick, with enough moisture to remain tender rather than dry.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: The cabbage can be cooked ahead and reheated gently. The shank is best finished shortly before serving so its browned skin stays glossy. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours, at 4°C or colder, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat portions throughout to 74°C. Freeze leftovers promptly for longer storage.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: Sauerkraut is the selected cabbage for this version because the regional description calls the finished cabbage mildly sour; the entry does not specify its type. Briefly rinse very salty cabbage, but expect a milder result. Check the beer label for barley and gluten; serve without bread if avoiding that optional accompaniment.

Sodium: about 2,100 mg

Estimate basis: one quarter of the recipe, assuming a 1.5 kg bone-in shank yields about 700 g cooked edible meat and skin. Sauerkraut and bacon brands vary widely in sodium; shank yield and fat content also change the estimate. Optional bread and condiments are excluded.

In closing

This Łódzkie-style pairing brings tender beer-basted pork together with tangy fried cabbage.
Give the shank time to turn fork-tender, and taste the sauerkraut before seasoning it with salt.

Łódź-Style Pork Knuckle with Braised Cabbage (Golonka z kapustą zasmażaną)

Tips for success

Ingredients

Shank and aromatic simmer

Fried cabbage

Oven finish and serving

Method

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

In closing

Polish National Dishes

Polish Potato and Pea Dish (Kapusta Dębowa)

Polish Sauerkraut and Pea Dish (Kapusta z Grochem z Radziwiłłowa)

Mazovian Millet Cabbage Rolls (Jaglaki)