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Schäufele
Badisches Schäufele: cured and smoked pork shoulder with warm Baden potato salad
In Baden, Schäufele ("little shovel") is the bone-in pork shoulder blade, cured and lightly smoked by the butcher, and it belongs on New Year's Eve and family get-togethers. It is gently simmered so the meat stays juicy and rosy from the cure, then sliced thick and served with a warm potato salad dressed with broth and vinegar. Ask a German butcher for a ready-cured Schäufele, or use a cured and smoked pork shoulder joint. Chef's tip: keep the water barely trembling; a rolling boil tightens the meat and squeezes out its juices.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
For the potato salad
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse the 3 ⅓ lb cured and smoked pork shoulder (Schäufele), bone in and put it in a large pot with the 1 onion, 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to just below a simmer.
20 minStep 2: Let it barely simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and a thermometer by the bone reads at least 145°F (it will usually be well above). Don't add salt: the cure has seasoned the meat.
105 minStep 3: Meanwhile, boil the 2 ⅝ lb waxy potatoes in their skins for 20–25 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain, peel while warm and slice 4 mm thick into a bowl.
30 minStep 4: Ladle 250 ml of the hot pork broth into a small pan, add the 1 onion and bring to the boil. Taste the broth first; if very salty, use half broth, half water.
3 minStep 5: Stir the 5 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp medium mustard, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper into the hot broth and pour it over the warm potatoes. Turn gently and leave 20 minutes so they drink it up, then fold in the 5 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 small bunch chives. A common mistake is dressing cold potatoes; they stay dry and the salad tastes of raw vinegar.
20 minStep 6: Lift out the pork and rest it for 10 minutes. Remove the bone and slice the meat 1 cm thick. Serve with the potato salad, still slightly warm, and a little broth spooned over the meat.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does schäufele take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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