Braised Ham Hocks

To unleash the mighty flavor of brined and smoked ham hocks and make their meat tender and succulent enough to eat off the bone, they must first be braised. We find that most recipes that call for the addition of ham hocks often do not offer a lengthy enough simmer to allow the ham hock to realize its full potential. Most beans and soups cook more rapidly than the hock and while the hock will contribute flavor and a little fat to the pot, its meat may remain tough. Our solution is to first braise the ham hock to tender perfection, yielding both a smoky broth that can be used to enrich a pot of beans, braised greens or soup as well as the hock meat that can shredded off the bone.

Makes two braised hocks

2 smoked ham hocks
2 quarts of water or pork, chicken or duck broth
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, halved

Place the hocks, water or broth, bay and onion into a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly just below a simmer. Cover or partially cover if the liquid seems to be evaporating. Cook the hocks for roughly three hours or until the meat begins to pull away from the bone. Let the hocks cool in their cooking liquid before using. Refrigerated braised hocks keep well for about four days.