Ham hock

Ham hock position

Aham hock(orhough) orpork knuckleis the joint between the tibia/fibula and themetatarsalsof the foot of a pig, where the foot was attached to thehog's leg.It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of thehamproper nor the ankle or foot (trotter), but rather the extremeshankend of the leg bone.

Uses

Since this piece generally consists of much skin, tendons and ligaments, it requires long cooking through stewing orbraisingto be made palatable. The cut of meat can be cooked with greens and other vegetables or in flavorful sauces. It is often added to soups, such as pea and ham soup, with the meat being added to the soup prior to serving. It can also be added to savoury pies. The meat of particularly meaty hocks may be removed and served as is. Ham hocks, like hog jowls (pigs' cheeks), add a distinctive flavor to various dishes. This is particularly true for collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, green beans and navy beans.

Ham hocks are essential ingredients for the distinct flavor insoul foodand other forms of American Southern country cooking. In theAppalachian Mountains,it is common to add ham hocks along with chopped onion and spices to pots ofpinto beansto make the meal more hearty. In theMid-Atlantic States,in rural regions settled by thePennsylvania Dutch,hocks are a commonly used ingredient for making a kind of meat loaf calledscrapple.Eisbeinis the name of the joint in northGerman,and at the same time the name of a dish of roasted ham hock, calledSchweinshaxeinBavaria,Stelzein Austria andWädliin Switzerland. The dish is very popular inPoland,using this cut. The dish is also popular in theCzech Republic,where it is most popular in Ostrava, close to the Polish border. It is the most popular dish in Polish-Czech Silesia, where it is served in a soup made from sauerkraut called Golonka (Czech: Vepřové koleno). Ham hocks are also popular when boiled with escarole, more commonly calledendives,inItalian-American cuisine.Fläsklägg med rotmosis a Swedish dish consisting of cured ham hocks and a mash ofrutabagaand potatoes, served with sweetmustard.In Canada, and particularly Montreal, ham hocks are referred to as "pigs' knuckles" and are served in bistros and taverns with baked beans.In northern Italy ham hocks are referred to as stinco, and is often served roast whole with sauerkraut.

Gallery

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  Chinese-style ham hock withbok choyingravy
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  Schweinshaxeserved with roasted potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) andSauerkrautat a Bavarian restaurant inChiang Mai,Thailand
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  Roasted Austrian style Stelze
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  Pickled Eisbein with Sauerkraut
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  Ham hocks stewed insoy sauceandfive-spice powderat a street stall inChiang Mai,Thailand
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  Ham hock (golonka) with grilledoscypek,horseradishand a slice ofbeetrootinPoland

Ham hock cooked with pinto beans, served with white rice and cornbread.

See also

• List of ham dishes
• List of smoked foods

External links

• Media related toHam hockat Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition ofham hockat Wiktionary