Updated: Jan. 29, 2024
Ham hock...what the hock is that? It's the secret ingredient used for infusing flavor into soups, stocks, bean dishes and more.
There’s something magical about braised collard greens and long-simmered bean dishes. They have a deeply savory, umami-rich flavor that’s simultaneously salty, smoky and sweet. Many recipes use smoked pork products like bacon to achieve these flavors. While bacon is convenient, quick-cooking and flavorful, we suggest using ham hocks instead. We’ll be the first to admit that hocks are a little scary looking, and they take a long time to cook, but trust us: using one will take your recipes to the next level.
What Is a Ham Hock?
Sydney Watson/Taste of Home
Ham hock (also called pork knuckle) comes from the area in the pork leg closest to the foot. Actually, it’s the joint that connects the leg to the foot, which isn’t exactly appealing to think about. They don’t look very appetizing either; the four-inch-long knuckle has very little meat and is encased in fat, tendons and ligaments surrounded by a thin layer of skin. So why use them if they’re so weird-looking? All that connective tissue breaks down to create collagen and gelatin as it cooks, thickening the cooking liquid while also infusing it with a ton of flavor.
The hocks can be sold as fresh pork hocks, but they’re generally referred to as ham hocks when they’re cured with salt (similar to bacon) and smoked to create a deeply rich flavor. Ham hocks are sometimes confused with ham shanks, which are meatier and come a little higher on the leg towards the hip or shoulder.
Find all the cuts of pork you should know about.
What Is a Ham Hock Used For?
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Ham hock is most often used to make soups or stocks because it needs to be simmered for hours to break down and soften. It’s traditionally added to low-and-slow dishes that use a slow cooker, like split pea soup or braised collard greens. The little meat that exists on the joint is sometimes shredded and added to the soup, but the hock is often used as a flavoring agent only. After the collagen and fat dissolve into the cooking liquid, the hock is often tossed away.
Take a trip to Germany, though, and you’ll find pork knuckle served whole. There, the meatier, rear pork knuckles are roasted or fried until the exterior turns into a crunchy crackling, creating the Oktoberfest-favorite dish called Schweinshaxen.
Recipes That Call for Ham Hocks
Is a Ham Hock the Same as Ham?
Ham and ham hocks are both cured and smoked, and they both impart a similar flavor to dishes prepared with them. That said, they are not the same. Ham is a lean roast that comes from the hind leg of the hog. Ham hocks are the knuckle bone, so they contain little meat and are composed instead of skin, fat, bone and collagen.
What Can I Substitute for a Ham Hock?
Ham hocks may be hard to find at the grocery store, but they’re usually located in the butcher section or in the cured meats section (near the bacon). You may also find them vacuum sealed in the freezer section. If you can’t find one at your local store or butcher shop, it’s easy to substitute other pork products.
The best substitute for ham hock is ham bone. These bones are usually smoked and impart a similar flavor profile to ham hocks. Ham shanks also work, although they’re often sold as fresh instead of smoked. Ham shanks also have significantly more meat on the bone compared to hocks, so you’ll want to make sure you have a plan to shred it to add to the recipe or save the shredded meat for later.
Other smoked pork products (like bacon, smoked sausage or regular ham) make suitable substitutes, but they don’t need to be cooked nearly as long as ham hocks.
FAQs
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.
What is a ham hock? ›
What Is Ham Hock and Where Is It on a Pig? A ham hock, or pork knuckle, is the joint that attaches a pig's foot to its leg. While a hock is not technically an ankle, its anatomical location corresponds to that of a human ankle or lower calf region.
Do you eat the skin of ham hocks? ›
Ham hocks can be cooked separately or braised in the dish provided enough time is allotted for the connective tissue to break down. The meat can then be picked off the bones and removed from the skin, but the skin is delicious too, if cooked long enough.
Are ham hocks cooked when you buy them? ›
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.
What part of the ham hock is edible? ›
Now that you know what a ham hock is, let's talk about how you can use it. Ham hocks, consisting mainly of skin, tendons, and ligaments, are primarily used to flavor dishes, although many people enjoy braising or slow-roasting hocks and eating them as a main course.
What is a ham hock called in a grocery store? ›
Ham hocks are also known as pork knuckles. They come from the bottom of the pork leg, and they're mostly bone, fat, connective tissue, and some meat. Ham hocks need to simmer for a long time in order to soften and impart flavor, so they're best used in dishes that cook low and slow.
Do you have to wash ham hocks before cooking? ›
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.
Are ham hocks healthy? ›
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.
How long does it take for a ham hock to cook? ›
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.
Do ham hocks taste like ham? ›
What Do Ham Hocks Taste Like? Ham hocks have a rich, smoky, and porky taste similar to bacon. They add a meaty essence to any dish, and even if the actual pig knuckle isn't consumed, the flavor remains in whatever it's cooked with.
Prepping the Soup
Once the ham hock is cooked, remove it from the pot or slow cooker and set it aside to cool slightly. Discard any excess fat or skin, and separate the meat from the bone. Shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the pot or slow cooker along with your favorite soup ingredients.
Is ham hock a cheap cut of meat? ›
And they won't set you back, price-wise, either (they're typically less than $3 a pound). Unlike bacon or pancetta, hocks are not especially meaty, which is why they're a great addition to long-cooked things—soups, of course, but also pots of beans, braised greens, and beef or poultry stocks.
Can you eat ham hock raw? ›
This thick cut of pork is inexpensive and easy to cook, and there are plenty of ways to prepare your ham hocks. Use braised, smoked, or raw ham hocks to make a delicious comforting dish with wonderfully tender meat and fantastic flavor.
Are ham hocks unhealthy? ›
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.
Are ham hocks raw? ›
If you're in the market for ham hocks, you get to choose from raw or smoked and cured varieties. While cured or smoked ham hocks can be incorporated into any dish without further preparation, raw ham hocks need to be properly cooked before they're safe for serving.
Is ham hock the same as pork leg? ›
Also known as pork knuckle, ham hock is the shank portion of the hog's hind leg. Ham hocks are often cured and smoked, which gives them aromas and flavors similar to bacon.
Sydney Watson/Taste of Home
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