If you love bacon, you’ll be head over heels for ham hocks. Smoky, salty, collagen-rich and inexpensive, ham hock is the ultimate cured pork product. In fact, keeping a ham hock or two on hand can help you whip up a delicious dish in a pinch if you know how to use the ingredient correctly. To help you become a ham hock master, we’ll explain what ham hocks are, how to cook them, some common ham hock uses and some specific ham hock recipes. Keep reading to discover some of the best ham hock ideas and cooking hacks you may have never heard of.
If you’re worried about the salt content of the ham hocks, soak them in water for at least half an hour before cooking. This will help remove some of the salt.
Ham Hock Mac and Cheese
Make your mac and cheese a bit more sophisticated by following this ham hock macaroni and cheese recipe. This ultimate comfort dish wraps macaroni noodles in a blanket of creamy, velvety cheese sauce while adding bite-sized pieces of ham hock meat for tiny pops of flavor. If you ever need to indulge a bit after a tough day at work or just want to treat yourself, this is the dish for you.
Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
While veggies typically aren’t the most sought-after dish on the table, sneaking some delicious ham hock into the recipe is a surefire way to get kids eating their greens. Because the salty smokiness of ham hocks can help offset the bite of most green vegetables and create a more well-rounded dish, ham hocks are most frequently used in recipes for bitter greens like kale, turnips and mustard.
Keep in mind that ham hocks need much more time to cook than vegetables, so you’ll have to cook the two of them separately. You will want to start by cooking the ham hock first, then adding the finished ham hock to the vegetables as they cook so they can absorb the rich flavors. If you are using a cured or smoked ham hock, you can add it to the vegetables at the start of cooking.
Ham hock can enhance the taste of vegetables beyond bitter greens, as well. Consider cooking your Brussels sprouts, asparagus, cabbage, spinach or onions with ham hocks to take them up a notch.
One of the reasons ham hocks are such a staple in soul food is that they perform well in traditional Southern side dishes like black-eyed peas, as well as white, red, kidney, pinto and Northern beans. By adding some ham hock to the pot before beginning to cook beans, you can create a bold, deep flavor profile for your side dish.
After placing the ham hock in the pot, all you have to do is let it simmer with the seasonings and beans long enough that everything cooks through and the flavors have a chance to meld together. Once the dish is finished cooking, you can cut off any ham hock meat you want to add to the dish before disposing of the rest.
In addition to bean dishes, ham hocks can be cooked with other legumes like lentils and chickpeas. Cooking these foods in the same water as ham hocks will give them a meaty flavor that can’t be matched.
Now that you’ve got the overall idea of how ham hocks can spice up any dish, let’s talk about a few specific recipes. Here are 12 of our all-time favorite ham hock recipe ideas:
Want a warm winter meal that feels like a hug in a bowl? Try this bean soup recipe that uses a mix of beans for a variety of textures combined with ham hock to give the broth a rich, meaty flavor. This hearty soup is packed full of plant protein and flavor, making it the perfect reward after a long afternoon of shoveling snow or sledding.
Cooking Smoked Ham Hocks
FAQ
Should I soak a smoked ham hock?
Are smoked ham hocks ready to eat?
How long does it take for smoked ham hocks to get tender?
How do you clean smoked ham hocks?
Do smoked ham hocks need to be soaked before cooking?
Before cooking, soak the smoked ham hocks in water for a few hours or overnight. This helps to remove excess salt and allows the meat to become tender. Once soaked, drain the water and pat the ham hocks dry with paper towels. This step is important to ensure a crispy exterior and proper browning.
How do you cook a smoked ham hock?
Begin by rinsing the smoked ham hock under cold water to remove any excess salt and impurities. In a large pot, combine the ham hock, chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Add enough water to the pot to fully submerge the ham hock. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil.
How do you clean ham hocks before cooking?
Wash the ham hocks with cold water. To make sure that the meat is clean before boiling, rinse each of the ham hocks with cold water in your kitchen sink. This will help remove any impurities from the meat and cut down on the fatty residue that will float to the top while the ham hocks boil.
How to cook smoked ham hocks in a slow cooker?
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours, until the meat is tender. Once cooked, remove the ham hocks from the slow cooker and let them cool slightly before removing the meat from the bone. Now that you know how to cook smoked ham hocks, here are a few recipe ideas to inspire you: