Recipe
Yields 4 servings/Time 3.5 hours
The hock, aka pork knuckle, is the bottom of the leg bone and it needs a few hours of cook time to become tender and shreddable. For this recipe you’ll braise the hocks in sauteed vegetables, herbs, and stock. The glaze comes together in a cinch with just 3 ingredients and may just be your favorite part of the meal. Serve over rice or egg noodles with a healthy portion of the delicious glaze.
You will need:
2 whole ham hocks
1 quart stock
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon juniper berries (optional)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cooking oil
12 oz amber beer
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reserved ham hock cooking liquid
Salt and pepper
For the Hocks
- Preheat oven to 375 . If using hocks with skin on, score the skin in a diamond pattern all over. Rub hocks all over with salt
- Heat cooking oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion, carrot, and celery for about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic cloves and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add herbs and spices, stir to combine
- Add ham hocks to the pot, and cover with stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and braise in the oven about 3 hours until fork tender
- Remove hocks from cooking liquid, set aside. Strain cooking liquid reserving the liquid but discarding the solids
For the Glaze
- Combine beer, honey, and 2 tablespoons cooking liquid in a large sauce pan
- Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, it should coat the back of a spoon
- Place hocks in a roasting dish . Pour glaze over hocks
