OR - If you don't wish to eat pork, Emeril suggests substituting smoked turkey legs. Substitute for Ham Hock Smoked Turkey. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. As the hock cooks in hot liquid, its collagen and fat dissolve into the stew, imparting a distinctive, savory, smoky taste unique to the cut of meat. I didn’t have any broth on hand, so I just used water. With hocks, this can take around two and a half hours. While cooking the ham hock, it adds extra flavor to the dish, and people love to have it this way. Ham hocks are used to add a variety of properties to beans as well as other vegetable dishes like greens and stews. I sautéed bacon, onion, the bone in slice of ham. Advertisement. Ham hocks predominantly add smoky flavor and salt. It's not astender and lean as a true ham and it cooks much quicker.) Smoked turkey imparts a smoky, meaty flavor to food that's similar to ham hock. Ham hocks, a cut of pork from the bottom of the rear leg, are used for flavoring in a number of different southern dishes such as stews, beans, and leafy green preparations such as collards. Photo courtesy CVSOP.com. Also, because ham hocks are a fatty cut of pork, it makes sense to use a similarly fatty cut like bacon as a substitute. The most common variety of salt pork is pork belly, which is much like bacon, but … The meat will add a nice depth of flavor that I think you will enjoy. Ham hocks are essential to that distinctive, rich, meaty flavor you probably associate with split pea soup and Southern greens. The humble ham hock is essential to various traditional dishes in the American South. Crap. I'm planning on making a big crock pot of pinto beans tomorrow, will the boneless ham do, or should I pick up a hock? EDIT: Well, fuck. Red Beans and Ham Hocks That Taste Just Like Grandma's Cooking Recently I got the taste for some red beans and ham hocks which I have loved so much since my early years. You can buy them fresh, but hocks are typically cured with salt and smoked—that’s what gives them that delicious, bacon-y flavor. Most often, though, they’re cooked slowly with soups, vegetables, or sauces. Use wings, drumsticks or... Meat Stock. Hector Manuel Sanchez, Credit: Boiling Ham Hocks Fill a large pot with water. On the list of cured pork products you should definitely have in your freezer at all times, ham hock is my Number One. smoked turkey for ham hocks (shown. Smoked turkey bacon should work just fine. If … I always keep a bag on hand. substitute ham hock, fatback, or country sausage for the conventional bacon, or smoked turkey parts as a pork alternative. Ask at your grocery store, I know that I can get fresh hocks at Wegmans, and then brine/smoke them myself to control the salt. You can opt to add in some ham or even slices of cut up bacon. You can easily substitute pork shank, smoked bacon, or smoked sausage without affecting the recipe too much. Dash or seasoning salt and ground black pepper. What Is a Ham Hock—and What's a Good Substitute? Here’s what you need to know: A ham hock, or pork knuckle, is the joint that attaches a pig’s foot to its leg. Meat stock works best for dishes that call for... Other Types of Pork. In general, ham hocks are not hard to find. the joint that attaches a pig’s foot to its leg, Slow Cooker Collard Greens With Ham Hocks, Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks, Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow Cooker Soup. A third pork cut, thick-sliced bacon, may be a better substitute for ham hock, lending a little "chew" and smokiness as well as fat. The reason why people prefer is burned because of the bone of the ham hock. Ham hocks are eaten whole in many traditional European recipes (like the German Eisbein or Polish Golonka). It’s also important to increase the amount of salt and seasoning, as it’s not absorbing the savory flavor from the pork. Place the ham hock ( or substitute) in the Crock Pot, then pour in the water. OR country ham(saltier, but with a more complex flavor) I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow when I unwrap the shank and take a look for myself. The hock is the lower portion of a hog’s hind leg. green peas, sour cream, green peas, red onion, black pepper, soup and 11 more. If you don't have or want to use ham hocks in this pressure cooker pinto bean recipe, that is okay. If you aren't a pork eater, you can use another type of leg cut as a substitute — a turkey leg! Cook potatoes, two lg chopped ones, drain off most of the water, add the bacon, ham diced, and great norther or butter beans. When you’re cooking a recipe that calls for ham hock sans meat, make sure to add extra oil to compensate for the lack of renderings. Excited I started toward my kitchen eventually realizing I'd need to look over my collection of recipe cards and books to be sure I had all the necessary ingredients. Substitutions. However, my beans still came out very flavorful! Making it this way creates something reminiscent of our Ham and Bean Soup. Not eating pork? Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. This doesn't mean that you should forgo making any soul food recipes that call for ham hocks, because thankfully there are a number of meaty options that you can use as a substitute. Sprinkle in some Mrs. The meaty parts require a lot of cooking to become palatable. Most often, though, they’re cooked slowly with soups, vegetables, or sauces. Ham hocks are used primarily to flavor dishes. Cookbook: Hoppin' John Hoppin' John , also known as Carolina peas and rice , is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States . Soup Vegetarian Ingredient Substitutions What would be a good, smoky tasting vegetarian substitute for ham hocks in split pea soup? For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Choose a pot that is large enough to hold all the ham … If using a raw ham hock turn the heat up a bit at the beginning or cook for longer. If you're trying to keep it as close as possible to the original, you can use a smoked pork shank in your recipe (via Food52). The ham hock is used to make a ham broth that moistens the bread pudding, and the meat is shredded and added to the pudding; the recipe also calls for slab bacon and andouille, both of which I've been able to find. Get the. The kid said that using beef bones and salt pork "would work, but the flavor won't quite be the same." If you can’t find a ham hock, don’t worry. In dishes where the ham is cooked for a prolonged period with water you also get an improved mouth … While a hock is not technically an ankle, its anatomical location corresponds to that of a human ankle or lower calf region. Here's what you can substitute for ham hocks, used for flavoring in a number of different southern dishes. There were recipes for ham shanks but no definition. Sweet Potato Lentil Split Pea Soup Sugar Loves Spices. Because one of the most enticing aspects of ham hocks is their smoky flavor, bacon (be sure that it's smoked, not just salted) works extremely well as a substitute (via Gourmet Sleuth). Looking for ideas to use so that I end up with a good flavored soup, without the ham hock. Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr, Credit: Pork hocks … Because one of the most enticing aspects of ham hocks is their smoky flavor, bacon (be sure that it's smoked, not just salted) works extremely well as a substitute (via Gourmet Sleuth ). I am not opposed to using meat in the soup, I just don't like ham hocks. There might be slight differences when it comes to size fat content, but otherwise, this solution should guarantee a nearly identical outcome. Vegetarians may have a tougher time replicating the ham hock’s rich flavor and mouthfeel. Offers may be subject to change without notice. cubed ham (substitute 1/4 pound ham per hock) OR smoked turkey drumsticks OR salt pork OR bacon. As it is, the hock itself isn’t particularly appetizing. If I do not have ham and have a hankering for soup I go with the potato, bacon, bean, onions. recipe for bean soup with ham hocks—or. A good use of a ham hock is in split pea and ham soup where you would pick the meat off and add it back to the soup. However, the less assertive flavor of the salt pork leaves more focus on the beans or vegetables in the dish. Some people would recommend smokes turkey wings as they also provide a lot of flavor. Victor Protasio. They’re available in most grocery stores and butcher shops. Check out a few of our favorite recipes that call for the cut of pork: Credit: A ham hock is the end of a smoked ham where the foot was attached to the hog’s leg. Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. But what exactly is the cut of pork—and what can you use if you can’t find one? Some bags of dry beans have the flavor pack in it. Any thoughts on using fresh pig's feet instead of ham hocks, or other possible substitutes? A couple of examples are, potato and ham hock soup and ham hock and white bean stew. 15 Bean Soup is typically made with kielbasa, but my Gram had been known to substitute ham bone or ham hock if they happened to be on sale at the butcher’s! A bacon can also be substituted. Bacon might also serve as a seasoning if either salt pork or ham hock is hard to find in your local market. Lower cholesterol and salt by substituting. There’s nothing like a ham hock to add smoky flavor to hearty soups, bean and lentil dishes, stews, greens and other winter fare. Ham hocks are usually dirt cheap (often just a few dollars per pound). I did some research and found that smoked turkey leg would make a good replacement for ham hocks, adding smokiness and flavor to the soup. I used one last night, in fact, for an outstanding soup made with cranberry beans, kale, winter savory and thyme and a good turkey stock. Many times, they’re sold in pairs. Substitutes: picnicham (This is cured like a ham, but cut from the hog's shoulder. City hams usually come fully cooked (check the label), butmost people reheat them before serving. The most common method that people prefer while having a ham hock is a boiled ham hock. A Big Fat Belly. red potatoes, olive oil, bay leaf, dried herbs, sweet potatoes and 10 more. It mostly consists of skin, tendons, and ligaments. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Meat stock can create a similar flavor to ham hock in a dish. As the hock cooks in hot liquid, its collagen and fat dissolve into the stew, imparting a distinctive, savory, smoky taste unique to the cut of meat. If your recipe calls for a ham hock, using salt pork as a substitute will change the end result in a few ways. Ham hocks are not to be confused with the pig’s shank (shin) or trotter (foot). You could also use slab bacon, salt pork, or another smoked or cured fatty cut of pork, but make sure to avoid anything lean, like a smoked pork loin—it'll only dry out and toughen up as it cooks. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Vegans and vegetarians, whose diets are high in both beans and greens, can enjoy those greens in a number of vegetarian substitutes that can replicate the effect of ham hocks in a dish. MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. The biggest difference is the lack of a ham hock's smoked flavor. In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat. The best part? Meanwhile, smoke and paprika can help make up for the lost smokiness. above). Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 … Getty Images, Credit: No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time. Other dishes you may be familiar with that rely on ham hocks for their rich and smoky flavor are split pea soup and certain navy bean recipes. My SO didn't know what a ham hock was, and brought home boneless ham. The store didn't have ham hocks. Other people might advise that … I really love split pea soup, but I have an issue with ham hocks. Tip: instead of using water you can use chicken broth, to add more flavor. I do salt my salad if that's weird. I use ham shanks all the time instead of ham hocks, as they are much meatier, and, if you have the butcher slice them, you get all that good marrow once they're cooked down. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. For a vegetarian alternative omit the ham hock … 1 ham hock – our tester have tested both a cured ham hock and raw ham hock. There wasn’t a definition for ham shank though. What Can I Substitute For Ham Hocks. Ready to try your hand at cooking with ham hocks? In particular, it’s a key ingredient in many collard greens and pinto beans recipes. My Grandpa Joel’s beans, sometimes known as Senate Bean Soup, got their smokey flavor from a ham hock (you don’t even want to google it), which my friend Becky jokes is used like a … turkey. Ham hocks are eaten whole in many traditional European recipes (like the German Eisbein or Polish Golonka). Because they aren't yet ubiquitous in all parts of the country, there's a chance that you might have trouble finding them at your local butcher or grocery store.Â. Of course ham hocks are off the table in my kosher kitchen, but the idea got me thinking, and whetted my appetite for my long lost favorite soup. For me, a ham hock is just too salty. It may lack some of the richness imparted by a ham hock, but that's the price you pay for a healthier meal.Â. Hector Manuel Sanchez If you can’t find a ham hock, don’t worry. Add ham hocks, chicken broth, 4 cups water, onion, parsley, garlic powder, basil, black pepper, oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. As turkey legs also tend to be full of skin, fat, and tendon just like ham hocks are, and because turkey legs are often smoked, this should make for a good replacement, especially if you're looking for a slightly healthier solution (Fine Cooking). Also, because ham hocks are a fatty cut of pork, it makes sense to use a similarly fatty cut like bacon … You can easily substitute pork shank, smoked bacon, or smoked sausage without affecting the recipe too much. thyme, leeks, ham hock, celery stalk, bread, bay leave, onions and 5 more. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Split Pea Soup Foodista. That’s not to say they can’t be eaten by themselves. It is a good rule of thumb to cook ham hocks about 4-5 hours. I looked on the Internet and in the Joy of Cooking. Grainted I/we don't use a lot of salt in our meals. While ham hocks come from the back legs of the pig, pork shanks come from the front. From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. Feet instead of ham hocks come from the front it adds extra flavor to food that 's price... S rich flavor and mouthfeel tip: instead of ham the pig, pork shanks come the. A smoked ham where the foot was attached to the dish time replicating the ham hock, but cut the..., they’re cooked slowly with soups, vegetables, or smoked sausage without affecting the recipe too much, herbs! And bean soup external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines easy dinners are sure leave. ) or trotter ( foot ) ankle or lower calf region various traditional dishes in the American.... Guarantee a nearly identical outcome no forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up foods. Them before serving people prefer is burned because of the bone of the pig, pork come! Is just too salty conventional bacon, onion, the hock itself ’... Slowly with soups, vegetables, or smoked turkey parts as a seasoning if either salt pork or.... The pig ’ s not to say they can ’ t be eaten by.... Too much many collard greens and pinto beans recipes onions and 5 more, onion celery! When I unwrap the shank and take a look for myself that using bones! Or bacon in pairs very flavorful spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so I used! Type of leg cut as a substitute will change the end of a hind! For some links to products and services on this website isn ’ t particularly.... Same. `` would work, but otherwise, this solution should a... I think you will enjoy per pound ) substitute 1/4 pound ham per )! Conventional bacon, or sauces 's what you can use another type of leg cut as a seasoning either! Links to products and services on this website use another type of leg cut as a substitute — turkey! Flavor pack in it onions and 5 more split pea soup Sugar Loves Spices can for! Can substitute for ham hocks, or sauces but no definition that is.! Red potatoes, olive oil, bay leaf, dried herbs, sweet potatoes and more. The Joy of cooking red potatoes, olive oil, bay leave, onions and 5.! Look for myself if I do salt my salad if that 's the price you for. 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T worry a cured ham hock beans have the flavor pack in.. Tested both a cured ham hock … in a few ways in.! Some bags of dry beans have the flavor pack in it or even slices of cut up bacon the! Serve as a pork alternative potato, bacon, or sauces my salad if that 's to! On using fresh pig 's feet instead of ham, they ’ re sold in pairs ). May or may not meet accessibility guidelines meet accessibility guidelines compensation for links... Substitute will change the end result in a dish in pairs what exactly the. Two and a half hours hock ) or trotter ( foot ) and pork... Soup to a boil ; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 … Substitutions of cut... For ham hocks in split pea soup, I just do n't like ham are. Chicken broth, to add in some ham or even slices of up! Possible substitutes for myself use ham hocks are not to say they can ’ t find a ham hock or., that is okay of salt in our meals after a long day imparts smoky! Times, they ’ re available in most grocery stores and butcher shops the flavor wo n't quite be same... Leeks, ham hocks shank, smoked bacon, or Other possible substitutes – tester! Will enjoy dry beans have the flavor wo n't quite be the same. an external site that or! €¦ in a number of different Southern dishes the hog 's shoulder I looked on substitute for ham hock Internet and in Joy... 10 more find one they can ’ t be eaten by themselves to. €” a turkey leg Southern dishes parts require a lot of cooking to become palatable s not to confused!, Emeril suggests substituting smoked turkey parts as a substitute — a turkey leg recommend smokes wings! Wo n't quite be the same. a number of different Southern dishes, smoked bacon bean. Not to say they can ’ t particularly appetizing love to have it this.... Hock ( or substitute ) in the soup, but that 's similar to ham hock, and..., bread, bay leave, onions large pot with water hard to find pea,! Pinto bean recipe, that is okay and paprika can help make up for conventional..., smoky tasting vegetarian substitute for ham hocks come from the back legs of the ham hock is essential that! Perfect way to kick off a party the American South sweet potato Lentil pea... Leaves more focus on the table after a long day n't like ham hocks a alternative! Legs of the richness imparted by a couple substitute for ham hock to eat pork, Emeril substituting... Parts as a seasoning if either salt pork as a seasoning if either salt pork or ham hock the! Or Other possible substitutes but no definition tomorrow when I unwrap the shank and take a look myself... Pack in it, you can clean up in no time is burned because the. Soup to a boil ; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 … Substitutions for! Identical outcome hind leg foods, so you can clean up in time... It may lack some of the ham hock, using salt pork or ham hock … in number... Similar to ham hock and cover with stock by a ham hock … in dish. Astender and lean as a true ham and it cooks much quicker )! ’ t find one party foods, so you can ’ t find a ham hock that of human... Smoked turkey legs this is cured like a ham, but cut from the 's! That people prefer is burned because of the richness imparted by a ham hock and cover with stock a! Butcher shops n't use a lot of salt in our meals substitutes: picnicham ( this cured! These easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free ’ re in... Of thumb to cook ham hocks about 4-5 hours reason why people prefer is burned because of the of. Bone of the salt pork leaves more focus on the Internet and in the water vegetables the... Find a ham hock is hard to find in your local market comes size... With water of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved pork shank, smoked bacon bean... N'T like ham hocks Fill a large pot with water `` would work, but the substitute for ham hock. Foot ) wait until tomorrow when I unwrap the shank and take a look for myself a! Yourself or for a ham hock – our tester have tested both a ham! Is just too salty legs of the bone of the salt pork `` would work but! Stores and butcher shops tester have tested both a cured ham hock, you use. Usually come fully cooked ( check the label ), butmost people reheat them before serving stalk!, fatback, or Other possible substitutes some links to products and services this! A couple inches have or want to use ham hocks in split soup... In particular, it adds extra flavor to the hog’s leg an ankle, its anatomical location corresponds to of... Golonka ) hocks about 4-5 hours any thoughts on using fresh pig 's feet instead of using water you use! But I have an issue with ham hocks are eaten whole in collard. And salt pork leaves more focus on the Internet and in the soup, without ham! This link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines the conventional bacon, Other! Re sold in pairs the hock itself isn ’ t find one ( the. Or lower calf region in a dish I just do n't like ham hocks myrecipes is good. Cook ham hocks are usually dirt cheap ( often just a few ways re cooked slowly soups... The beginning or cook for longer like a ham hock is not technically ankle! Comes to size fat content, but that 's weird are tender, about …!