What to do with a Pork Hock

[Sundae]

From searching on the internet it seems the American term "pork hock" differs from the British cut. So I have included a photo. These pre-packaged pig parts are approx 3.1oz.

Now I am only just getting to know this supermarket
But I already know that as well as having talented and very attractive staff, they don't sell many of these and until the ordering settles down into automatic stock control, these will be discounted heavily.

So I was wondering what I could do with them?
They are already roasted.
There cannot be much meat on there.
Are they really only good for making stock?
Every recipe I can find online is about how to cook them...

[glatt]

You throw it in with a batch of baked beans and let it add flavor to the beans. Then when the beans are cooked, you can break the meat and fat loose off the bone and mix that in with the beans.

[fargon]

1 Pork Hock (sometimes called a Ham Hock)
1 lb Navy Beans (white beans)
1 half cup ketchup
1 half cup diced onion
1 half cup brown sugar
1 Tb minced garlic

In a Crock Pot place all ingredients and cover with water.
Cook for about 6 hours on low, the last half hour add a Tb salt and remove bone.
You will have to stir this every hour or so, and add water as necessary.

[Sundae]

Fargon is that cooked hock though?
And are you going on American sized hock?
Apologies if you've taken that into account and I'm asking stupid questions.

Fargon & Glatt, I do appreciate the suggestions, but if I cook beans I will be the only person to eat them.
Baked beans in this country mean something very different. They come in tins in tomato sauce and are never home-cooked (not in the same way as the tinned variety I mean.)

Now I love home-made beans, and I like the suggestions.
This could make a fair few low cost meals for me.
But if there is anything else I can do which might make a meal for my family I'll try that first.
I might ask the meat counter if they sell hocks raw. I've found plenty of recipes for that.
Am also tempted by the pig's cheeks I know they sell - low priced cut of meat, rich flavour, versatile.

Roll on October when I get my 15% discount card.
It applies on top of any promotions or reductions... As I'm happy to cook from scratch (or nearly) I can take advantage of many of our less popular/ short-life counter foods.
Although I will always try to promote them to customers as I will be part of the profit scheme. Less discounting and as little food wastage as possible increases everyone's bonus.

(won't stop me being a canny shopper though)

[glatt]

Hocks are a low price for a reason. Very fatty and almost no meat. The beans suggestion was because I don't know of anything else you can use them for. I think of them as a flavor pack for something else.

[Sundae]

That puts the beans recipe into perspective.

This Winter I'll be going for home-baked beans with pork hock.
And if I get too much of a slick of fat on top I'll just go back to my original vegetarian recipe. Used to cook them in Leicester all the time.

Thanks again.
I couldn't get this kind of answer on a Google search.

[fargon]

Sundae, Sometimes the hocks are smoked and sometimes they are not. Cooking the beans in a Crock Pot even if they are raw they will be fully cooked after 6 hours.

[zippyt]

what they said !!!

[Aliantha]

What qbout pea soup?

[fargon]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

What qbout pea soup?

YUK!!!

[Perry Winkle]

Good split pea soup is a thing of gustatory delight.

(And gas. Good lord, the gas.)

[Aliantha]

Thanks perry! I think mine is pretty yummy. Its a winter fav here.

[Lamplighter]

Each of the recipes proposed here fits well into the genre
of U.S. "Southern" and/or "Poor People's" food.

Back in the 60's, there were attempts to get (white) people in suburbia
talking to (black) people in urban centers by having "poor people's banquets" in church basements.
Some (white) people from the suburbs were reluctant to attend
because they were unsure of what kinds of food would be served.

When my family attended one, I was truly surprised because the entire meal was great.
It was the same food my Mom had fixed and that I grew up eating every day.
My folks were from Tennessee and Kentucky farms, and had lived through the Depression in Detroit.
The dishes were simply everyday, inexpensive, and delicious.

And my tastes still run in that direction, especially in the winter.
My wife uses "ham hocks" in several different bean and pea dishes.
When you add any kind of casserole, "sweet carrots" and "corn meal light bread"
and you have a meal as good as it can get.

[Sundae]

I might even try pea soup.
Again, it'll be for me only

Have promised Mum a couple of casseroles when the season turns.
We all like them and it satisfies my urge for pleasing people with food without even making much effort.

Still having a think about pigs cheeks.

Lamp, I grew up eating the English '70s poor people's food.
Cheap cuts of meat, long cooking times, everything made at home from pastry to breadcrumbs to chips (fat fries) in an open chip pan.
Almost no imported food, we ate according to what was on the local market.

Eating that way is a lifestyle choice now, usually made by people in a higher income bracket than my parents were.

[Sundae]

Nigel Slater's take on the cheeks:

olive oil a little
pig's cheeks 8
carrots 3
onions 2
red onion 1
celery 2
garlic 4
flour 2 tbsp
thyme a generous bunch
orange peel a short piece
bay leaves 3
red wine 1 bottle, rich and bold
sugar or fruit jelly 2 tbsp or so

Warm a thin film of oil in a heavy roasting tin over a moderate heat, then season the cheeks with salt and pepper and brown them lightly in the oil. Remove and set aside.

Cut the carrots into thick slices, peel and roughly chop the onions, cut the celery into short lengths and peel and slice the garlic. Add the carrots, onions, celery, orange peel and garlic to the pan in which you browned the cheeks, letting them soften and colour very lightly. Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3.

Return the cheeks to the pan, tucking them among the vegetables, scatter over the flour, season with salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two then add the thyme, the bay leaves and the wine. Bring to the boil, cover loosely with foil or baking parchment, then bake for 2½ to 3 hours until tender. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid isn't reducing too far. After an hour or so, it might be prudent to taste and add up to two tbsp of sugar, or some apple or other fruit jelly to the gravy

My gosh that sounds yum.