How To Cook Ham Hocks?

How to cook ham hocks? The most effortless way to cook ham hocks is to boil them in a large pot. Place the ham hocks into the pot and pour enough water to almost fill the pot (instead of water, you can use chicken or other low sodium broth). Add salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer. Simmer the ham hocks for 2-4 hours, or until they become tender.

Ham hocks are also known as pork knuckles. They come from a pig’s leg, and they go exceptionally well with beans, cabbage, and other dishes. You can cook fresh ham hocks, smoked ham hocks, or frozen ham hocks. To learn more about cooked ham hocks, keep reading this article!

How To Cook Ham Hocks?

1. Take a large pot and place your ham hocks inside.
2. Fill the pot with water or chicken/vegetable broth.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Turn the heat on and bring the water to a boil.
5. Once the water starts boiling, lower the heat.
6. Simmer for 2-4 hours, or until you notice that the ham hock meat became tender and cooked all the way through.
7. After 2-4 hours of cooking, remove the meat from the water and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
8. Eat ham hocks with mustard, sour cabbage, and smoked paprika.

This is a simple yet very tasty recipe for a ham hock:

How To Cook Ham Hocks For Soup?

You can use smoked pork hock to make a delicious soup:

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, 1/4 cup will be enough.
2. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 finely diced celery stalks, and 2 finely diced carrots.
3. Saute chopped vegetables over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add 1 pound of rinsed split peas and 1 1/2 pound of smoked pork hocks.
5. Pour 2 quarts of chicken stock into the pot and bring to a simmer.
6. Cook for 1 hour until the peas begin to disintegrate.
7. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How To Cook Ham Hocks And Beans?

1. Rinse 1 bag of dried beans under cold water and remove the gravel.
2. In a large cooking pot, add beans, 1 chopped onion, and 4-6 ham hocks.
3. Pour enough water to fill the pot.
4. Season with salt, black pepper, dried oregano, large bay leaf, and garlic powder.
5. Simmer over medium-low to medium heat for 4-5 hours.

How To Cook Ham Hocks In Instant Pot?

Ham hocks are great when cooked with pinto beans, especially in an instant pot:

1. Rinse 2 cups of pinto beans under cold water and place them into the instant pot.
2. Add 1 chopped onion, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1 smoked ham hock, and 5 cups of homemade unsalted chicken broth.
3. Season with dried oregano, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and bay leaves.
4. Close the lid and seal the valve.
5. Cook at high pressure for 50 minutes.
6. Let the steam naturally release for 20 minutes, then quickly release any remaining steam.
7. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and cilantro.

How To Cook Ham Hocks In The Oven

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Oil the oven-safe skillet with olive oil.
3. Once the olive oil gets hot, add the ham hock and saute until it becomes brown and crispy on both sides.
4. Add vegetable broth, close the lid, and bake for 2-3 hours.

How To Cook Ham Hocks And Collard Greens?

1. Place 2-3 smoked ham hocks and 8 cups of water into the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 3 hours.
3. Transfer the cooked ham hocks along with water into a large pot.
4. Add 3lbs of collard greens, 1 chopped onion, 1 diced bell pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves.
5. Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
6. Stir everything well together and add 2 tsp white vinegar.
7. Coo for 1 hour over medium heat.

How To Cook Ham Hocks In Crock Pot?

1. In your slow cooker, place 2 lbs of ham hocks, 6 cups of chicken stock, 2 stalks of diced celery, 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped carrots, 3 minced garlic cloves, 5 tbsp yellow mustard, 5 tbsp honey, and salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Cover the crockpot with a lid and cook over low heat for 8-10 hours.
3. Once cooked, allow everything to cool down a bit and drain from any remaining liquid.
4. Serve with coleslaw and sweet potatoes.

How To Cook Ham Hocks And Lima Beans?

1. Soak the dried lima beans for 2 hours in warm water.
2. In a large pot, place soaked lima beans, ham hocks, chopped onions, and celery.
3. Season with salt, brown sugar, mustard, and black pepper.
4. Cover and cook by simmering for 2 hours.

How To Cook Ham Hocks And Cabbage?

Together with some smoked bacon, smoked ham hocks are delicious when cooked with cabbage.

1. In a slow cooker, add smoked ham hocks, smoked bacon, chopped onions, chopped carrots, minced garlic, and diced celery.
2. Cook on low for 4 hours, then add finely chopped cabbage.
3. Cook for 1 more hour.
4. Serve with sour cream.

How To Cook Ham Hocks And Black Eyed Peas?

1. Rinse black-eyed peas and place them into a large pot.
2. Add smoked pork hocks, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped carrots, and a bay leaf.
3. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans become tender.
4. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool before serving.

How Long Does It Take To Cook Ham Hocks?

The cooking time depends on whether you are cooking fresh ham hocks, smoked ham hocks, or frozen ham hocks. Obviously, frozen ham hocks will take the longest to cook, and smoked ham hocks will need the least time to be cooked.

The cooking time also depends on the cooking temperature and the cooking method. In an instant pot, you can cook your ham hocks in just under 1 hour, while a slow cooker might need 8-10 hours to finish cooking.

Should Ham Hock Be Soaked Before Cooking?

You don’t have to soak the ham hock before cooking, but you can do it when you want to remove the excess salt from the ham hock. Place the ham hock into warm water for 2 hours, rinse, and cook as per the recipe.

How Long Does It Take For Ham Hocks To Get Tender?

Once fully cooked, ham hocks will become fork tender. That means when you take a fork and press it against the ham hock, the fork will easily pierce through the meat.

Do Ham Hocks Need To Be Cooked?

Like any smoked meat, smoked ham hocks can be eaten without any further preparation. However, fresh ham hocks need to be cooked before eating because you don’t want to eat raw meat.

Summary

Now you know how to cook ham hocks. Cook them in simmering water for 2-4 hours, or until the meat becomes tender. Instead of water, you can use chicken or vegetable broth to add more flavor, and of course, you can always add vegetables and beans to your dish, such as cabbage, pinto beans, collard greens, etc.

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