Ham hock smoke

[smokinjoe52]

I always bought smoked ham hocks for my split pea soup, but I can only find fresh hocks. Can somebody point me to a brine/smoke recipe for fresh hocks? Just a pops brine recipe would be great. How long in the brine...temp/time for the smoke is all I need.

TIA -Joe

 

[jcam222]

This thread should get you started https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine.110799/

 

[thirdeye]

Pop's brine should work fine. Adding aromatics is fine too. My curing brine time is 3 days minimum for split hocks, up to 5 or 6 days for big hocks or shanks. Pop's Brine will allow for additional time if you need it. Injecting a few ounces of the brine will help too.

Then I rinse, rest for 24 hours in the fridge and smoke. Hocks and shanks are one thing I do go saltier than my normal brined or corned meats because I'm cooking them down in a pot of beans for several hours. 1 cup of Kosher salt per gallon of water works for me. I use low pit temps, like 225° and generally pecan or hickory (but wood is a personal choice). I wait for them to sweat and watch the bone pull back so I might be in the 170°'s for an internal.

 

[smokinjoe52]

Thanks!

 

[Sven Svensson]

thirdeye Those look great. I’m bookmarking this. I love ham hocks in beans and especially pea soup. We Scandinavians are addicted to pea soup.

 

[DougE]

We Scandinavians are addicted to pea soup.

You ever had yellow pea soup ala French Canadian style? Now that's some good stuff. You gotta have whole dried yellow peas to do it right, though, the split don't work as well.

 

[foamheart]

Fresh Green Beans, New Potatoes & Cured Smoked Hocks ~Foamheart

Remember the last of my hocks I curse and smoke a couple a weeks ago? Sure you do they were pretty. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/butt-hocks-foamheart.279522/ Friend brought over about 5 lbs of "salvaged" green beans, Fresh but are throw aways in just a couple a days. Lots of...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[foamheart]

Just some pictures





I have a good butcher, in Mid Novemeber I had him fix some hocks for me. Shanks come in 50 lb boxes. he cuts each into three slices and keeps the litle nubs that are all bones and sells 'em. That leaves me about 30 lbs of good looking hocks. I cure and smoke half and put the other halffresh in the freezer for when I needs some more. MY friends all love them so the don';t last long.

HInts:I if you cure them as long as you'd figure, they are going to take a long time to cook and will be tough.
Smoking, smoke by color not by time @ 100 to 120 chamber temp. There is such a thing as too much smoke.

Good luck with those hocks, great seasoning meat.

 

[Sven Svensson]

You ever had yellow pea soup ala French Canadian style? Now that's some good stuff. You gotta have whole dried yellow peas to do it right, though, the split don't work as well.

As a matter of fact I have. My daughter lives in Montreal. I think they use a mirepoix with some fancy spices my people are forbidden to use. Can’t make Swedish food too tasty, you know. We like the Lars brand you can order on Amazon. Instead of a mirepoix we use onions and tart apples. But the ham hock is all anyone cares about.

And, the peas cannot be green. Those are A touch more bitter. It’s important. Ha!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I can only find fresh hocks

Fresh pork hocks and shanks are something that were very common around here a long time ago. Never see them anymore, but can always find them smoked...

 

[DougE]

As a matter of fact I have. My daughter lives in Montreal. I think they use a mirepoix with some fancy spices my people are forbidden to use. Can’t make Swedish food too tasty, you know. We like the Lars brand you can order on Amazon. Instead of a mirepoix we use onions and tart apples. But the ham hock is all anyone cares about.

And, the peas cannot be green. Those are A touch more bitter. It’s important. Ha!

This one is good too. Not as good as my granny made, but pretty close. I actually used to find it at Big Lots, but haven't seen it there in a long time.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=habitant...b_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_7&tag=smokingmeatforums-20

 

[sandyut]

thirdeye I have never seen ham shanks at the grocery here. the butcher only has smoked - which are good but if I can smoke my own then... Where do you find these?

 

[thirdeye]

I have never seen ham shanks at the grocery here. the butcher only has smoked - which are good but if I can smoke my own then... Where do you find these?

Oh, they are right there on a hog's leg, just above the trotter.

My Kroger affiliate is the best choice for hocks and shanks, both fresh and smoked, and they sell them from the meat case in whatever quantity you want.
And if you know anyone that owns or works in a restaurant they can order a case of shanks. The ones from Kroger look like this.

 

[sandyut]

I think my Kroger is "challenged" at best. never seen a shank there. what they call hocks are bones with gristle on them...I would never use them or eat chem.

 

[smokinjoe52]

Just some pictures

View attachment 523457

View attachment 523458

I have a good butcher, in Mid Novemeber I had him fix some hocks for me. Shanks come in 50 lb boxes. he cuts each into three slices and keeps the litle nubs that are all bones and sells 'em. That leaves me about 30 lbs of good looking hocks. I cure and smoke half and put the other halffresh in the freezer for when I needs some more. MY friends all love them so the don';t last long.

HInts:I if you cure them as long as you'd figure, they are going to take a long time to cook and will be tough.
Smoking, smoke by color not by time @ 100 to 120 chamber temp. There is such a thing as too much smoke.

Good luck with those hocks, great seasoning meat.

Those look great. You only use them "IN" something, like soup. Those are not for snacking are they? I have 8 smaller hocks in Pop's brine. Does a week in the brine sound about right?

 

[Sven Svensson]

thirdeye I have never seen ham shanks at the grocery here. the butcher only has smoked - which are good but if I can smoke my own then... Where do you find these?

They are abundant in our local Latino markets.

 

[foamheart]

Those look great. You only use them "IN" something, like soup. Those are not for snacking are they? I have 8 smaller hocks in Pop's brine. Does a week in the brine sound about right?

A week? all depends upon you. do you like your meat heavy cured or lightly cured? I would think more like 2 weeks. This is something I got long ago and has helped me alot.
Curing Times **********************

“Curing times vary with meat, but generally overnight to 2-3 days for chickens and turkeys, 8-10 days buckboard bacon, 10-14 days belly bacon, pork shoulder, whole butts, 3-4 weeks whole hams, 10-20 days corned beef (fresh beef roasts, briskets, rolled rib roasts, etc.) If whole muscle is more than 2" thick, then inject so it can cure i/o as well as o/i, and/or in and around bone structures, etc.”

I use the hocks like salt pork in veggies and soups and beans, etc etc etc

 

[smokinjoe52]

I always thought cured was cured. If the cure makes it to the center of the meat, it is cured. If not, it is not cured. I never considered heavily cured and lightly cured. I have those old curing notes in my Pop's brine recipe. I have made Buckboard bacon using a 5 lb butt, and had it in the cure for 10 days. These smaller hocks should take less than the 5 lb butt. I'm going to throw 4 of them in split pea soup, so will probably smoke for 2-3 hours and get to an IT of around 160. That should do it.

 

[thirdeye]

A week? all depends upon you. do you like your meat heavy cured or lightly cured? I would think more like 2 weeks. This is something I got long ago and has helped me alot.
I use the hocks like salt pork in veggies and soups and beans, etc etc etc

I always thought cured was cured. If the cure makes it to the center of the meat, it is cured. If not, it is not cured. I never considered heavily cured and lightly cured.

For my tastes (using my own interpretation of Pop's range of salt for different applicatioons) the longer cure times give me a more 'developed' flavor. Not necessarily saltier but more cure-like flavor than I get when using the minimum cure times. And like I mentioned earlier, I increase the salt when I cure hocks or shanks. I like cooking them down in beans, but I also will do a pressure finish so I have shredded meat to accent almost any dish.

 

[zwiller]

Fresh pork hocks and shanks are something that were very common around here a long time ago. Never see them anymore, but can always find them smoked...

Same for me here and there is also other smoked stuff like neck, and, turkey legs. FYI the "smaller" stores for lack of better term usually have the smoked stuff and not place where I typically shop. While I like the flavor it adds not a fan of using the meat and definitely much less yield than compared to what I see here. Wife and family not into it but some split pea ham hock stock would be the cat's a$$ today being 5F. Some crunchy bread...