Butt & Hocks ~ Foamheart

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Had an extra butt laying around a few weeks back (the other half of the tasso butt). At .88/lb I can play with 'em. This time I was just too lazy to debone it, maybe because I too sp much time cleaning those pieces of tasso.

Into the nice clean curing bucket!

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A quick tip, any polyethylene bucket is NSF. How would you be sure? Turn it over and look. There are all kinda of stuff on the bottom but this is what you are looking for The triangle with a number. HDPE = High Density PolyEthylene, (one of the things I did in this lifetime).

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These are the last of my hock supply also. I love hocks in beans! Heck I like hocks with hocks! You should try a cured, smoked, hock & trotter head cheese. I did one here some where.

EDITT:: Cured smoked headcheese: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/cured-head-cheese-foamheart.173280/

Before throwing all in the cure bucket, I made sure to inject the butt thoroughly to insure good penetration. Then it all rested for 18 days in the below brine:

1 C White Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
3/4 C Canning Salt
1 1/2 tsp #1 Cure
1 Tbs Maple Extract
1 Gallon Spring Water

Cleaned rinsed and patted dry

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In the reefer for a couple a days to get a good safe pellicle.

Here I will interject something I learned. IF you are using an elastic fish net, put it on before injecting and curing. LOL You don't notice how much plumper that butt is till you try to get the net on it....

Now into the smoker, I first used pecan shells, then Apple chips

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1 hour into it

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2 hours, pulled the hocks, decided NOT to cook them this time. I am going to freeze 'em anyway, and I was wondering if they might cook faster in the beans if still raw. I'll let you know.

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Let that smoke roll over that butt some more!!

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Pulled it at 170 IT and will cook it later, either a double smoke or in the oven.

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Thats all there is...... Its a butt ham, and a bunch of ol'smoked cured hocks.

EDITT:: One other thing I'd like to add, I meant to add some Amespho (Phosphate) and see if it would plump and retain juices better. Maybe we need to ask a chemist first about mixing the cure and phosphates. I don't mind taking one for the team, but I would hate to hurt someone.
 
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Looking great Kevin! I've got the hocks and hams from our pigs curing now too. Wont be smoking for a while yet, but I can enjoy looking at your until then! Looking forward to updates!
 
Nice looking hocks! I was looking for the brine recipe for sometime to cure hocks .... I just wondering if they have to be cooked or can be cold smocked for 8 - 16 hours and eaten just like that? I don't see why not but curious....
Thank you for the recipe !
 
Looks good to me I can't find any more of them meaty Hocks like I had the one time.
Richie
 
Looking great Kevin! I've got the hocks and hams from our pigs curing now too. Wont be smoking for a while yet, but I can enjoy looking at your until then! Looking forward to updates!

Thank you. We did raise hogs, basically for Pop's yearly hog roast. There is a fresh taste to pork when you raise it yourself you just can't get from store bought. I didn't mind butchering, but I HATED scraping!
 
Nice looking hocks! I was looking for the brine recipe for sometime to cure hocks .... I just wondering if they have to be cooked or can be cold smocked for 8 - 16 hours and eaten just like that? I don't see why not but curious....
Thank you for the recipe !

I like fresh hocks, I like cured hocks especially in my beans, Navy, Pinto, Lima, Kidney, crowder, etc. I prefer the fresh or just smoked in my green veggies. There is so many seasoning meats today that its basically what I have handy, Andouille, Tasso, hocks, Pickled Pork, fatback, etc... Man as a kid we'd all fight over old dry sow belly.
 
Looks good to me I can't find any more of them meaty Hocks like I had the one time.
Richie

Dang Richie, no wonder you don't eat greens.... Gptta get some found. I'll tell you where they are. Look around for the small meat store that does mostly government assistance, that's where I get mine. I am too the point now where I buy a full case at a time. This one has lasted about a year.
 
Check it out! This is so tender and juicy!

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I had some pineapple preserves that did not gel this year so I keep 'em in the reefer and use for glazes.

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So good! Every time I do something this I am amazed at how easy it is and why the heck do we pay so much for a lessor products from the grocery stores. Just think if that was a ham instead of a butt! You need to do one now to polish up for the holidays. Plue it will give you time to get over
 
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I have 2 hocks in the freezer from last year. Have a pig going to the butcher next week. I will be curing the hocks , hams and bacons.

Hoping my hocks look like this.
 
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