I bought a half hog last year and it's pretty much gone except the 2 smoked ham hocks. I have nothing against them, but I've never cooked hocks before. Do I treat them like ham? A survey of online recipes is either ham hocks and collard greens or various bean soups. I'm okay with either, but want to get the wisdom of the pit.
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I usually use them as a "seasoning" meat in various things, mostly bean based, and ofelles Posole Rojo recipe uses them:
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GREENS!!!Comment
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Black eyed peas are a type of field, as are cow peas, clay peas, Crowder peas, purple hull peas, so forth. Oak Smoke
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Totally agree with texastweeter on greens and field peas but I would add Senate Bean Soup to his list. Senate Bean Soup has been served in the Senate dining room for over a century for a reason.Comment
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I’m in with the greens opinion. Nothing like a good pit of greens.Comment
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Soups are a great way to use hocks, although for me it's usually a ham and bean/pea concoctionComment
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My folks put 'em in any type of beans, but my favorite has always been navy beans.Comment
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If the weather were getting colder instead of warmer, I'd say Split Pea with Ham Soup. Since it's getting hotter, just keep them in the freezer until late Autumn ... then Split Pea with Ham Soup!Comment
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I need the room in my freezer, and I have a pressure canner, and I love split pea soup. So I'm going to use 1of the hocks to make split pea soup and can it. Then I can wait for cold weather (or a crushing existential crisis) and enjoy some comfort food. Now I'll figure out what to do with the other hock.
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I don’t know what cooking them with greens mean, I just wanted to chip in that they need time, a classic low n slow cook, since they are lower down on the rest leg and contain more connective tissue.Comment
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jlazar - Here you go:
SPLIT PEA SOUP
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 1 hr, 20 min Difficulty: Easy Servings: 5 1/2 cups Source: Modified after The New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 11th Ed., pp473
INGREDIENTS
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry split peas, rinsed and drained
1 to 1½ pounds meaty smoked pork hocks or meaty ham bone(s)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped carrot (2 medium per cup)
1/2 cup chopped celery (2 stalks per cup)
1/2 cup chopped onion (2 medium per cup)
DESCRIPTION
Unscaled recipe makes about 5½ cups (4 main-dish servings).
(Photo from Serious Eats)
DIRECTIONS
Stovetop Directions:
• In a large saucepan combine broth, split peas, pork hocks or ham bone, marjoram, bay leaf, 2 cups water, and dash pepper.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Remove meat. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop meat.
• Discard bones. Return meat to saucepan.
• Stir in carrot, celery, and onion. Return to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes more or till vegetables are tender.
• Discard bay leaf.
Crockpot directions:
• In a 3½-4 quart electric crockpot combine split peas, pork hocks, marjoram, bay leaf, carrot, celery, onion, and dash pepper.
• Pour chicken broth and 2 cups water over all.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
• Discard bay leaf.
• Remove meat; coarsely chop.
• Return meat to crockery cooker.
• Cover and cook on high-heat setting 5 to 10 minutes more or till heated through.
Last edited by MBMorgan; May 17, 2025, 01:28 PM.Comment
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Thank you much.Comment
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I agree with split pea soupComment
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