Beans Cooked with Ham Hocks (2024)

FAQs

Should I soak a ham hock before cooking? ›

Either way, it is always best to soak them in cold water for a few hours, just in case they are excessively salty. Butchers sell cooked or raw hocks: it's wise to ask for a gammon hock if you want to cook it, as ham often refers to cooked meat.

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. Do not add any salt! *You also have the option of using a pressure cooker to speed up the process.

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.

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.

The nice thing about ham hocks is that you don't have to worry about overcooking them. While this makes cooking ham hocks much easier and stress-free than many other foods, there are still some cooking strategies you can use to enhance your ham hocks.

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.

Because this cut of meat is from the joint on the trotter, or foot of the pig, it is tough, with most of the ham hock comprised of skin, bone, fat, and collagen.

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.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Gradually add the slurry to the soup while stirring continuously. Allow the soup to simmer for a few more minutes until thickened.

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.

Did slaves eat ham hocks? ›

Greens. Hayford explains that “the cheapest, least desired cuts of pork – such as the head, ribs, feet, or internal organs – were reserved for the slaves' weekly food rations.”⁵ These animal parts, such as ham hocks, were often used to flavor greens and vegetables instead of eaten outright.

Use a fork to try to pull off a small piece. If the meat easily pulls away from the bone, the ham hocks are done. If they are still a bit tough, stuck to the bone, or not quite tender, place the meat back into the pot and continue to boil as needed. Remove the cooked ham hocks from the boiling water.

Put ham hocks in a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover with water. Add the bay leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper, then cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Signs Ham Has Gone Bad

A sour or rancid smell Ham should smell enticing—fresh, salty, and smokey. If your ham smells like sulfur, gasoline, or skunk, throw it out. The sniff test is usually a pretty solid test to determine if ham has gone bad.

Mar 24, 2023

Molds grow on hams during the long curing and drying process because the high salt and low temperatures do not inhibit these robust organisms. DO NOT DISCARD the ham. Wash it with hot water and scrub off the mold with a stiff vegetable brush.

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed). Weigh to calculate the cooking time. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

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. After 12 hours of air drying, they're ready to be smoked.

If you live in the US then uncooked hams tend to be very salty (quite often they are country style hams which are cured with salt for up to 3 months) and we would soak the ham for 48 hours before cooking, changing the water every 8 hours.