What do I do with a ham hock?
- Ham hocks are sometimes referred to as pork knuckles in German or Chinese foods. You can broil or deep fry a ham hock to get the skin extra crispy and super tender meat underneath. Serve with cabbage, potatoes and a beer for Oktoberfest.
Do you have to soak ham hocks?
Most ham hocks are smoked and cured and taste very salty.
To reduce the salt level and to remove any impurities, a long washing or soaking is needed before using the ham hock in cooking.
Rinse the ham hock completely after washing.
Place the ham hocks into the pot and add water until they are completely submerged.
How long should you boil a ham hock?
Place ham hocks, onion and garlic into a large cooking pot. Add enough water to fill the pot about 3/4 full. Boil 1 to 2 hours or until the hocks are tender.
What do you do with a ham hock?
We generally use ham hocks in braises, soups, and other liquid-based dishes. The meat braises slowly while releasing its flavor. When the dish is done, you can pull off the bits of meat and put them back in the dish. Or you can do what we do: hide them from everyone else and eat them ourselves!14 Dec 2009
Do you remove skin from ham hock?
Removing the ham rind
- Using a small sharp knife cut through the skin/rind 10cm from the top of the hock (or knuckle end of the leg)
- Start to remove the skin from the ham by sliding the knife between the skin and fat.
- Run your clean fingers (or a knife) under the skin and gently peel back the skin/ring to leave a layer of fat.
Are ham hocks bad for you?
Seven grams of the fat in a serving of smoked ham hocks are saturated fat — the “bad” type of fat — although research published in the October 2010 issue of the medical journal “Lipids” notes that eating saturated fats alone is not enough to cause medical problems such as coronary heart disease.