Smoked Pork Hocks

[lcruzen]

Someone a buddy of mine know took some pigs into the meat packer for butchering and this guy has no use for the hocks. So I was lucky enough to be the recipient of 30lbs of fresh hocks all individually vac packed.



They are really nice and meaty looking. Looks like they included the shank and then cut across the bone.



Cured about 10 lbs of them in a simple curing brine of pink cure, salt, pepper, and pickling spice. Let em cure in the fridge for 7 days sine they were only about an inch thick.



Onto the smoker yesterday and let them go for about 8 hours at 180o.



Smoked them with a combo of hickory, apple, and cherry.



The final product has a good rich smokey color on the outside and a deep red hammy color on the inside and oh yeah, the taste is pretty good too!





These will be the base for some great dishes to come like soup beans & cornbread, baked beans or some paella.

Thanx for checking it out!

[Whisky Fish]

What an awesome score! you can't find anything like that in the stores even. You done good!

[erain]

those look great bud!!! when we butcher, we cut em up just like that. give them to my mom and wait for the invite for potato dumplings, kraut, hocks, and greens... has to be one of my favorite meals!!! next tme, after seeing this, i think i will have to save a few and give this a shot.

[Slanted88]

Dern sure look good!

[RowdyRay]

What a lucky guy you are. And what a great idea too. Looking forward to some of the ways you put them to use.

[SmokinLee]

Them are some nice hocks. Boy those will be great in some recipes. And that potatoe dumpling recipe of Erains sounds great. I have made potatoe dumplings but just put sour cream and chives on them.

[Critterhunter]

Those look really good.Nice color

[Bassman]

That's a lot of great eating. In my younger years, my mom would make "ham hocks" and beans. Brings back good memories.

[erain]

Them are some nice hocks. Boy those will be great in some recipes. And that potatoe dumpling recipe of Erains sounds great. I have made potatoe dumplings but just put sour cream and chives on them.

i dont have a recipie lee, one a those throw together things but basically gratted taters and flour, stiff mixture, into boiling water til done. we always had some kind of fatty pork with itso there was always lotsa drippings(melted fat) brown lotsa onion slices in it an spooned them over the cut up dumplings. drippings and all, s&p to taste and great stuff. was my most favorite dinner when i was a kid and still love it. and dont forget the kraut and pork... hmmm maybe have to do a post on them one day...

sorry cruz... now back to the "hock" channel...

[SmokinLee]

Thanks erain.

i dont have a recipie lee, one a those throw together things but basically gratted taters and flour, stiff mixture, into boiling water til done. we always had some kind of fatty pork with itso there was always lotsa drippings(melted fat) brown lotsa onion slices in it an spooned them over the cut up dumplings. drippings and all, s&p to taste and great stuff. was my most favorite dinner when i was a kid and still love it. and dont forget the kraut and pork... hmmm maybe have to do a post on them one day...

sorry cruz... now back to the "hock" channel...

[lcruzen]

Man erain, that does sound good! I think I'll give that a try for dinner tonight! Dumplings, greens, kraut, and hocks, how could it get any better!

[Texas-Hunter]

Great score... one mans trash is another mans treasure... And they are GREAT in Northern white beans..

I need to post my recipe for Dirty White Beans.. I use smoked hocks in it as well...



.

[curious aardvark]

excellent score and smoke !

I think I'd beinclined to just gnaw on the hocks, not sure they'd get as far as beans lol

[Fishawn]

I think I'd beinclined to just gnaw on the hocks, not sure they'd get as far as beans lol

Yeah no kidding..... Those look really nice

[ALX]

Sweet....The possibilities are endless,but everything mentioned has me hungry.