Phil > wrote:

> Victor Sack wrote:
> >
> > There is a nice Kalbshaxe recipe at the Römertopf Web site. See the
> > English translation at
> > <http://www.roemertopf.de/english/rezepte_datenbank2.php?id=93>.
>
> I did read your suggested recipe before; but I didn't try it since it
> seemed to have more complex cooking steps than seem to be needed for my
> first trials. I also read an epinion review authored by a
> German-American; everthing she described was cooking in automatic by
> Reco / Romertopf ;-)

To a certain extent, she is right, but then it is true of a lot of stew
recipes, not just those made in clay pots. However, clay pot that have
been soaked are especially forgiving.

> The Kalbshaxe recipe used 1 cup white wine and comment to baste at 1/2
> hr intervals while baking at 500F for 2 1/2 hrs. This is basteing 4
> times in a very hot oven.

The recipe, though indeed right, is not very well written. The Haxe is
actually supposed to be cooked in the Römertopf at the "usual"
temperature, while being basted at 1/2 intervals. It is then removed
from the Römertopf, transfered to a roasting tray and cooked for the
last 10 minutes at 500°F to allow the crust to develop.

> Isn't this a little excessive handling since I keep reading that the
> clay pot is supposed to do this for you?
>
> Interested in your personal experience cooking with shanks in a
> Romertopf?

Myself, I usually do not bother with basting when using a Römertopf,
even if the recipe calls for such, opting instead for soaking the pot
for a long time, sometimes for up to an hour. I would do the same thing
with the above recipe, but that's just me. I am of the opinion that if
one is cooking an unfamiliar dish, or using an unfamiliar method, one
should generally try a supposedly reliable recipe the way it is written
first, before making adjustments.

I would make the Haxe the following way: soak the Römertopf for 45-60
minutes; season the Haxe generously with salt and pepper and put it in
the pot together with whole peeled small onions or shalots, some very
small whole peeled potatoes (called Drillinge in Germany), sliced leek
(white only), cubed celery root, a small sliced carrot, (also optionally
a couple of tomatoes, quartered), a bunch of parsley, and some fresh
thyme. I would then cook it in the closed Römertopf at about 160-180°C
for about 45 minutes. I would then remove the lid, paint the Haxe with
butter and let it get browned under the broiler element. Alternatively,
I would brown the Haxe in a pan *before* putting it in the Römertopf.

Victor