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Braised Ham Hocks

Making braised ham hocks is easier than you think! This often overlooked cut of meat yields a delicious and tender meat when braised.

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Braised Ham Hocks is a stable comfort food recipe in my home for a number of reasons. It’s easy to make, unbelievably tasty, and very much a country, prairie-living type food.  it’s still a great filling dinner option all-year round. For a dish that’s so easy to put together, the flavour is beyond amazing once its had proper time to develop.

2 pieces Braised Ham Hocks in a white plate with some cabbage leaf

How to Braise Ham Hocks

  • Preheat your oven to 350 ° F.
  • In an oven safe lidded skillet or braising pan, fry the ham hocks in the oil until brown and crispy on the outside.
  • Add in the vegetable broth. ( you can use chicken as well if wanted)
  • Remove from the stove, cover with a lid and place in the oven.
  • Cook in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the ham hock meat is tender and falls apart when pulled at with a fork.
  • Remove and serve.

What is a Ham Hock?!

If you haven’t cooked this before, you might be wondering what a ham hock actually is! Well, they’re cankles. No, seriously, they’re actual “cankles”! A ham hock is pork that’s cut from the bottom part of a pig’s leg, i.e. where the calf connects to the ankle. It’s not a super common cut but it’s used a lot in Southern USA and it gives a deep flavour to many dishes.

The actual ham hock isn’t usually the highlight of the dish as it’s not particularly meaty. Instead, it’s used to give a smoky, salty flavour to meals like stews (I love using it to flavour my cabbage stew!), soups, greens, and as an additional seasoning. This can liven up even the most mundane meals so it’s worth keeping in mind!

Are Ham Hocks Healthy To Eat?

Ham is full of protein and iron, but it can be very high in sodium. So make sure you don’t add too much additional sodium to your dish after serving as its really not necessary!

How Long Will Uncooked Ham Hocks Keep in the Refrigerator?

Once you’ve bought your ham hocks, they’ll last for up to a week in the refrigerator ( but always check the expiry date on the tag!). You can also freeze your ham hocks if you want them to last longer. Once frozen, ham hocks will last indefinitely, but it’s best to use them within a few months if you don’t want the quality to suffer.

Tips For Cooking Smoked Ham Hocks

  • Soak the hocks in cold water for a minimum of 30 mins before cooking. This helps draw the sodium out so they aren’t too salty.
  • Fry or broil the ham hocks after braising if you want a crisp blistered skin.
  • Add some seasoning like garlic powder to your ham hocks to get a more interesting flavour.
  • Try Pork Shanks if you’re looking for a meatier substitute as they’re cut a bit higher up the leg.
  • Use a LOW SODIUM broth to braise smoked ham hocks in or the salt will be too high! You can even just make the broth weaker if wanted.

Has anyone ever made ham hocks? You can also use smoked hocks in split pea soup as well for flavour instead of ham! And don’t forget to let me know if you come up with any tips of your own too!

close up 2 pieces Braised Ham Hocks in a white plate

More Pork Recipes

Happy cooking!

Love,

Karlynn

Braised Ham Hocks

Making braised ham hocks is easier than you think! This often overlooked cut of meat yields a delicious and tender meat when braised.
5 from 22 votes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Calories
500
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 4-6 ham hocks ( pork hocks) raw or smoked
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups vegetable broth

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 ° F.
  • In an oven safe lidded skillet or braising pan, fry the ham hocks in the oil until brown and crispy on the outside.
  • Add in the vegetable broth.
  • Remove from the stove, cover with a lid and place in the oven. 
  • Cook in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the ham hock meat is tender and falls apart when pulled at with a fork.
  • Remove and serve.

Recipe Notes

The nutritional info is wrong on this recipe, it calculates all of the ingredients as if you eat the fat, the broth etc. which you don’t.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 1032mg, Potassium: 480mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 375IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 2.1mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Making braised ham hocks is easier than you think! This often overlooked cut of meat yields a delicious and tender meat when braised. #porkhocks #hamhocks #pork

Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

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Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Melanie says

    My mom is from SC and I learned to cook from her. I always use smoked hocks in my greens and okra soup. My daughter shopped for me and got fresh hocks! amazing this recipe came up today and I will see how it works.

  2. Nancy Sue Rahn says

    can I put pork hocks in a slow cooker with sauerkraut and apples and cook it on low??

  3. Lorraine Murdoch says

    I’ve made studenetz, but I’ve never made them this way. A must try

  4. Vicky says

    Have always used hamhocks for my peasoup and bean soup like the taste of them ,will try the braised ham hocks .

  5. Jan Mattson says

    After soaking pinto beans overnight or for a few hours, drain and cook them using one or two ham hocks. Adjust seasoning.

5 from 22 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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