What is a ham hock? I have found several recipes mentioning them, but don't know what they are.?

It's generally a piece of the pig left over after processing that has little value other than as a seasoning ingredient.





You can usually use fatty bacon as a substitute.What is a ham hock? I have found several recipes mentioning them, but don't know what they are.?
I am a former chef and while some have it surrounded, here is the real story, when preparing the legs of pork for hams, they can leave on the hock and the foot for the early preparation, and to smoked the hams, but when trimming the remove them and this is the old world style, now they will just cure and smoked pork hocks the part of the leg above the knee of the pig, and as said there good in flavouring collard greens, black eyed peas and other beans, in the south they are braised and served in soul food restaurants as a main course with the greens or lima beans, even the feet are cooked and also come smoked, the meat can be shredded and add to the dish, and when making headcheese along with other parts, the natural gelatin in the hocks add to the flavour and gelling of the meats.What is a ham hock? I have found several recipes mentioning them, but don't know what they are.?
It is basically a knee joint, above the foot and below the ham. Not good for much but flavoring other dishes, but the little meat that is in it is very flavorful, very tender and smoky.
A Ham hock is a pig knuckle. Mostly used for seasoning greens and dry beans...........they are flavorful and meaty and requires a lot of boiling!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_hock
tey r a ham with a hoc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!











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