If you’ve ever had slow-cooked collard greens or stewed pinto beans or navy beans, there’s always that deeper, saltier flavor lingering in the background. Sometimes it’s due in part to bacon or pancetta, or if you’re a vegetarian, miso paste and mushrooms, but often the flavor comes from a ham hock, which is a cut of pork that’s also known as pork knuckle.
What Are Ham Hocks?
On first read, they’re not the most appealing cut of meat. Pork knuckle is the joint that attaches the ankle and calf of a pig; this cut of meat contains plenty of connective tissue, skin, tendons, and ligaments. This is why hocks take a lot of cooking to become tender. Ham hocks are typically cured with salt and smoked, which brings out the very best flavor of the knuckle. However, as all of the collagen and fat in the hocks breaks down and caramelizes, it renders a smoky, savory flavor that enhances soups, stews, and sauces.
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