How To Cook Pork Hocks (2024)

FAQs

What are the cooking methods for hock? ›

Ham hocks are inexpensive, thick cuts of leg meat that can be cooked and used in a variety of ways. You can smoke ham hocks on a smoker for a moist and flavorful option, roast them in the oven until crispy and browned, or boil them on the stove.

Fill the pot with enough water to fully submerge the ham hocks. Cover the pot with it's lid and place on high heat. Boil the ham hocks for a minimum of 2 hours adding more water when necessary.

Ham hocks are usually sold pre-cooked, and often smoked. If you get a smoked hock you may want to soak it overnight to get rid of some of the saltiness. Otherwise, they are ready to use. You can braise a ham hock, trim it up and serve it as a meat course.

The meat can then be picked off the bones and removed from the skin, but the skin is delicious too, if cooked long enough. Cooking with a ham hock requires minimal effort (just toss it in and wait!), but there are ways to get the most out of each one. Smoked hocks should be rinsed before use to remove excess salt.

In a large glass or plastic vessel add the hocks and the brine and be sure everything is covered in brine. If you need more, add more of the water, sugar and salt brine. Brine the hocks for 2 full days. Remove the hocks from the brine and let them rest on a rack and pan in your refrigerator overnight.

Start the ham hock in a hot oven so you can get the fat nice and crispy. After about 30 minutes, add some bay leaves, a couple of cinnamon sticks, and some juniper berries. Cover your baking dish and let it cook for 2-3 hours. You want it to be so tender and succulent!

If you have very meaty hocks, you could just roast them, eat the meat (or use it in an omelet or another dish), and then throw just the bones into a soup. If there's just not much meat on those bones, throw the whole roasted hock into the soup pot.

The nutritional benefits of ham hock

Ham hock is high in protein, but also brings with it a share of fat, saturated fat, so should therefore be eaten in moderation. In terms of minerals, ham hock also contains sodium and potassium.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine ham hocks, onions, garlic, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook at a bare simmer until hocks are very tender, 2 to 3 hours. Remove ham hocks from liquid, transfer to a cutting board, and pull bones from meaty and fatty parts.

A hock is not fatty but can be made tender from all the collagen that breaks down during cooking. Best of all, the whole thing is covered in skin, and as I always say, the more skin, the better.

Can you overcook ham hocks? ›

The nice thing about ham hocks is that you don't have to worry about overcooking them.

If soaking the ham does not remove the saltiness, you can try boiling it. Cut the ham into large chunks and place the meat in a pot of boiling water. Boil the ham for about ten minutes. This can help leach out any remaining salt.

Saute the ham hocks until they become brown and crispy. Pour in the vegetable broth, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Bake in the oven for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat becomes fork-tender. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Ham hocks are used primarily to flavor dishes. As it is, the hock itself isn't particularly appetizing at first glance. It largely consists of skin, tendons, and ligaments. The meaty parts require a fair amount of cooking to become palatable — of course, the meat is deliciously succulent once prepared.

It should be cooked low and slow until the meat is falling off the bone, then shredded and eaten hot or cold. Ham hock is also used to infuse soups and vegetable dishes with extra flavour.