Ham Hocks... Soups & Jelly With Lots Of Chicken Livers

[smoking b]

Ok I've still been busy with family matters but knew I was gonna have some time today. Once again I need to make stuff to get me through the week & I told Foam that I would make something for him with the ham hocks that I smoked so here I go...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I got into my bean stash last night & put some red & black beans to soak.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Today I got a piece of my Hot Italian sausage & a piece of smoked Andouille out of the freezer.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I cut them up

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& started to cook them in the bottom of a kettle.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I got them browned up really good & cooked through then removed them & saved for later. I made sure to let all the awesomeness stay in the bottom 

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Moving along I cut up some onion

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

pepper & garlic.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I put them all in the bottom of the kettle with the flavor from the browned sausage.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I added a wee bit of oil (less than a Tbsp) & let them cook till they cleared up.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

At this point I added roughly a pint of my chicken stock to the mix

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& got out one of the ham hocks I smoked.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Some spices were calling to me so I added them,

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

the ham hock,

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& the red beans I had soaked.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I brought it to a nice boil then turned it down to a simmer.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

As the initial foam came to the top I got rid of it then left things go stirring from time to time...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

With the first soup going I took another hock I smoked & put it in a pot along with some carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, all spice berries, salt, thyme & various peppercorns...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Next I chopped up more onion, pepper & garlic

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& put it in a different kettle with another hock

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& the black beans I soaked.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I found this olive oil which I really, really like so I added a bit of it for flavor to this batch...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

After the oil I added salt, pepper & water & put it on the stove to start.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I added water to my pot & got it on the stove as well.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& here is everything all going nicely now - at this point the whole house is starting to smell great! 

 

[pc farmer]

I am with ya. Liking it so far.

 

[smoking b]

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

After the soups had cooked for several hours I mixed up some soda bread

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& formed & scored it.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I also got some rice started

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

as I put the bread in the oven.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Bread done,

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Rice done.

 

[snorkelinggirl]

Hey Jeremy!

Just popped into the forum for a quick looksy, and the title of your post grabbed me!  I mean, you had me at ham hocks, but then chicken livers just sealed the deal!!

I'm looking forward to the chicken livers making their grand entrance.  But until then, everything is looking great!  A pot of beans with a smoked ham hock and some aromatics is home cooking at its best.  

Looking forward to seeing the rest!  Thanks and have a great night...

Clarissa

 

[foamheart]

You know when I saw the thread's title below, I knew who was cooking before I even got here. I love it you cook like a chef and talk like a country boy. Oh yeah! I bet Julia Childs would have loved ya!

I didn't want to miss this!

 

[smoking b]

I am with ya. Liking it so far.

Yup I was pigging out - it came out nice...

 

[smoking b]

 
Hey Jeremy!

Just popped into the forum for a quick looksy, and the title of your post grabbed me!  I mean, you had me at ham hocks, but then chicken livers just sealed the deal!!

I'm looking forward to the chicken livers making their grand entrance.  But until then, everything is looking great!  A pot of beans with a smoked ham hock and some aromatics is home cooking at its best.  

Looking forward to seeing the rest!  Thanks and have a great night...

Clarissa

Thanks Clarissa 

  I got held up eating but am putting up more pics now...

 
You know when I saw the thread's title below, I knew who was cooking before I even got here. I love it you cook like a chef and talk like a country boy. Oh yeah! I bet Julia Childs would have loved ya!

I didn't want to miss this!

Ha! I am a country boy for sure Foam!  I think you'll be satisfied with how it all ends up 

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

As per usual SB, very nice.... Thumbs Up

 

[moikel]

How many people are you feeding?

 

Looks great & closely related to some soups I make from time to time.Pretty universal cooking style. Pity more people don't embrace it rather than opening a can.

I love the look of that soda bread.

Getting towards soup weather here .

 

[smoking b]

Ok now that I ate it's time to continue...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Soup #1 coming along nicely

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Soup #2 coming along nicely.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Milk & egg mixture I made for the chicken livers.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& here are the chicken livers I acquired - pretty nice ones 

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I made a breading for them with flour, garlic, pepper, dried Cherry Bomb that I grew & ground Habanero that I grew - it's a good all-purpose breading 

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Dipped, breaded & ready to go.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Frying away. I like to give them roughly 5 minutes - not any longer than that.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Just out & cooling down enough to eat.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

  Yumm Yumm! 

  A very nice snack while I finish the soup...

 

[smoking b]

As per usual SB, very nice....

Thanks man 

 
How many people are you feeding?

 

Looks great & closely related to some soups I make from time to time.Pretty universal cooking style. Pity more people don't embrace it rather than opening a can.

I love the look of that soda bread.

Getting towards soup weather here .

Thanks man 

  Lol  it's just me - I had to make enough to get me through the rest of the week again while helping out my grandma.  I make a lot of that soda bread. It bakes for about 45 minutes & you don't have to let it rise so from the time I start it till I am taking it out of the oven is under an hour 

 

 

[chestnutbloom]

Oh how I love chicken livers. Yours look and sound amazing! 

 

[smoking b]

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Ok I pulled the hock from soup #1 to remove the bone.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I also took out a few spoons of beans to smoosh & add back in...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Meat from the 1st hock ready to add back to the soup.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Meat from the 2nd hock ready to add back to the soup - the bones are now reserved for something else...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Meat back in soup #2 with the black beans.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& meat back in soup #1 with the red beans - I also added the sausage back in at this point & a nice dose of Cajun seasoning that I made...

After I let the soups thicken a little more it was time to eat 

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Here is a serving of soup #1 - the red bean soup. I added some rice to the middle & some soda bread on the side - the soda bread is a good pairing with this. I finished off the rest of the chicken livers with this soup as well...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Nice view of the soup...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Last few chicken livers.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Nice view of the beans, meat & sausage all here... This was a very good soup - rich, full of flavor & filling.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& here is soup #2 - the black bean soup.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

This was also a very good soup.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Completely different flavor profile of course but still rich & satisfying.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Here is a very nice view of the goodness.

Both these soups are nice hearty hunger killers & should see me through the rest of the week nicely 

I will be back with the jelly...

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks great Jeremy! I have a few nice ham hocks in the freezer just waiting for one of those dreary days to make some soupy goodness!

 

[smoking b]

 
Oh how I love chicken livers. Yours look and sound amazing! 

Thanks man 

  They make great snacks like that! 

 

[smoking b]

Ok time for the jelly 

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Here is the meat from the last hock.

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

& here is the broth from cooking it after I strained it a few times...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

Broken up & ready to go...

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• smoking b
• May 7, 2014

I try to keep the meat somewhat lined up as I get a cleaner slice when I do it that way...

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• smoking b
• May 8, 2014

Adding the "jelly"

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• smoking b
• May 8, 2014

Ready to put in the fridge till tomorrow...

Updates to follow...

 

[smoking b]

Looks great Jeremy! I have a few nice ham hocks in the freezer just waiting for one of those dreary days to make some soupy goodness!

Thanks Case 

  I'll keep an eye out for a thread... 

Yup...

 

[daveomak]

Jeremy, evening.... everything looks delish..... especially the livers.... I really like c. livers.... have them a lot..... one thing....
I never ever thought of shallow frying them.... One more thing in the bucket to do now.....

You ever done cow liver like that.... neighbor brought me over another liver, tongue and heart last week.... great neighbor....

 

[smoking b]

Jeremy, evening.... everything looks delish..... especially the livers.... I really like c. livers.... have them a lot..... one thing....
I never ever thought of shallow frying them.... One more thing in the bucket to do now.....

You ever done cow liver like that.... neighbor brought me over another liver, tongue and heart last week.... great neighbor....

Thanks Dave 

  I like frying them up that way since it's quick & saves me a lot of grease compared to using a deep fryer.

It sounds like you do have a great neighbor! Yeah I've done them too but I cut them up into smaller pieces first so they cook quickly & evenly.

A couple quick words of advice though... Make sure you have a grease spatter shield & use it & put the liver in the grease with something other than your hands - those things can give a pop with absolutely no warning & make a mess and/or burn you. I had my spatter shield off long enough to snap that pic then it went right back on.

 

 

[foamheart]

First I see the red beans and rice w/ a couple of livers there on the side. Most folks don't realize the relationship between fried protein with the starch and fiber of the beans and rice. Its just like the relationship with peas and carrots!  People here will fry 2 or 3 shrimp, or oysters, or anything in a small amount to go with beans and rice.

I see the hock meat and the gelatin, I am assuming a hock terrine? That would be totally awesome! Don't think its head cheese with that nice plastic wrap liner in there. I bet the hock would make some awesome head cheese though. Never thought about it before. Course I am assuming the pigs around here are raised without hocks they just walk around on the shanks cause you can find a fresh hock anywhere!

Inspirational!