# How long for Pre smoked hocks



## Sowsage (Mar 5, 2020)

Picked up some hocks . how long and what temp do you guys think on these? I want them fall apart tender. Plan is to use in some bean soup . figured sous vide them and pull them apart and use whatever renders out in the liquid to cook the beans. Or is sous vide over kill and just throw in with the beans?


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## mike243 (Mar 5, 2020)

I normally throw them in the beans, I remove most of the skin these days , takes a couple packs to get enuff meat to make me happy, I never have smoked any fresh , may have to find some


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## Sowsage (Mar 5, 2020)

mike243 said:


> I normally throw them in the beans, I remove most of the skin these days , takes a couple packs to get enuff meat to make me happy, I never have smoked any fresh , may have to find some


I was thinking after they sous vide I could pull the skin off and crisp under the broiler for a crispy toping for the bean soup.


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## chopsaw (Mar 5, 2020)

Hey Travis , how are ya bud . We kind of talked about this in another thread , I just cured and smoked 3 fresh hocks . I used one to do  fresh green beans . I did not have time to do SV . I tried crock pot . I put the hock , greens beans and canned whole potato with some chicken stock . I started to late and had to put it in the oven at 400 . Still took  2 or 3 hours to get close enough to shred .  So ,,, 
I think the sv would be a great start on the hock .  Me ,, I would do hocks only at 165 . Time is a guess ,, maybe 24 hours ?  Then remove skin and add liquid and meat to  already cooked beans . 

Do the hocks  165 for 24 hours with some onions . Drained and rinsed canned beans . 4 Cups chicken stock ,  Add it all together ,,, some Franks on the top  , corn bread on the bottom ,,,,


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## Sowsage (Mar 5, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> Hey Travis , how are ya bud . We kind of talked about this in another thread , I just cured and smoked 3 fresh hocks . I used one to do  fresh green beans . I did not have time to do SV . I tried crock pot . I put the hock , greens beans and canned whole potato with some chicken stock . I started to late and had to put it in the oven at 400 . Still took  2 or 3 hours to get close enough to shred .  So ,,,
> I think the sv would be a great start on the hock .  Me ,, I would do hocks only at 165 . Time is a guess ,, maybe 24 hours ?  Then remove skin and add liquid and meat to  already cooked beans .
> 
> Do the hocks  165 for 24 hours with some onions . Drained and rinsed canned beans . 4 Cups chicken stock ,  Add it all together ,,, some Franks on the top  , corn bread on the bottom ,,,,


Thanks Chopsaw! I was thinking the exact same for time and temp. I have dry beans . just put the hocks in the SV. This will most likely be for Saturday dinner. Really was not prepared to do this but couldn't pass them up at the store after we talked about it the other day. I'll keep you posted-


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 5, 2020)

I'm interested in how the Soup comes out. 
The whole point of Smoked Hocks, as a Flavor Ingredient, is to cook them IN the soup with the beans. By cooking with SV first, even with some liquid in the bag, I'm afraid the Bulk of the flavor will still be in the now tender meat. Further cooking to extract that hammy flavor will result in completely disintegrated strings of Hock. Interesting Test but, not sure what benefit you will get from SV...JJ


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## Sowsage (Mar 5, 2020)

chef jimmyj said:


> I'm interested in how the Soup comes out.
> The whole point of Smoked Hocks, as a Flavor Ingredient, is to cook them IN the soup with the beans. By cooking with SV first, even with some liquid in the bag, I'm afraid the Bulk of the flavor will still be in the now tender meat. Further cooking to extract that hammy flavor will result in completely disintegrated strings of Hock. Interesting Test but, not sure what benefit you will get from SV...JJ


These are great points JJ. I'll keep everyone posted good or bad. I feel its worth trying out though.


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## tropics (Mar 6, 2020)

Travis I do Hocks a lot of times with beans. I have been using them with Collard Greens & Beans.I have 6 Hocks getting ready for the smoker this weekend,making room for my Easter Ham to cure.





						Collard Greens with Hocks
					

Have to tip the hat an say Thank You to Foamheart for inspiring me to try the Collard Greens! Chef JimmyJ for posting a recipe in Kevins post, I made it according to the recipe a few times already Good Stuff. For this post I changed 1 thing I used Baby Lima Beans,smoked the Hocks a few months...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				



Richie


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## zwiller (Mar 6, 2020)

Just had some bean soup with hocks my uncle made Tuesday.  He and my parents use hocks all the time.  Flavor is killer to me (raised on it) but admit it might be too smoky for some.  That said, most people who tasted it were blown away since they never had anything like it.  I am gonna say it's like 2-3x more intense than ham stock or bouillon and way smokier.  

You might be onto something with the SV a long time, hard to say.  Dad's method was over a few days.  One day add a hock in around a gallon of water and simmer all day until reduced in half while rehydrating beans on the counter.  Soup made next day or so.   My favorite use of the hock is for split pea soup.


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## chopsaw (Mar 6, 2020)

I've always made " Ham and beans " with great white northern beans , a ham hock or shank , onions and water . All cooked together . No stock of any kind , the ham bone or hock is the flavor . Curing and smoking your own is the way to go . Never called it soup because it's thick and full of ham . 
I think a long cook on a couple hocks , picked and added to " whatever " is a great way to use them and add a ton of flavor to a dish . 
I did the green beans as a side , but could eat as a meal . Crusty bread and a dark wheat beer , it's over . 





I used the canned potato because the idea was to SV , and I knew they would hold up to a long cook time . 
If I were going to try it with dried beans , I think I would do two stages . figure the cook time for the hock then subtract the cook time for the beans . Open the bag at that point  , add pre soaked / rinsed beans . Re seal and finish the cook  . 


 Sowsage
 be watching bud .


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## Bearcarver (Mar 6, 2020)

Depending on how tough the Smoked Hocks are, that might be a real good idea.
You don't want tough meat in your "Ham & Beans" no matter how tasty it is!!!
We use Wax Beans & Double Smoked Ham. * Link:* Double Smoked Ham & Beans

Bear


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## Sowsage (Mar 6, 2020)

zwiller said:


> Just had some bean soup with hocks my uncle made Tuesday.  He and my parents use hocks all the time.  Flavor is killer to me (raised on it) but admit it might be too smoky for some.  That said, most people who tasted it were blown away since they never had anything like it.  I am gonna say it's like 2-3x more intense than ham stock or bouillon and way smokier.
> 
> You might be onto something with the SV a long time, hard to say.  Dad's method was over a few days.  One day add a hock in around a gallon of water and simmer all day until reduced in half while rehydrating beans on the counter.  Soup made next day or so.   My favorite use of the hock is for split pea soup.


I agree with you on the flavor of hocks. Can't get any better in my opinion. Planing on this beeing a cook over a few days. Hocks for at least 24 hr. Then on to the next step.


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## Sowsage (Mar 6, 2020)

tropics said:


> Travis I do Hocks a lot of times with beans. I have been using them with Collard Greens & Beans.I have 6 Hocks getting ready for the smoker this weekend,making room for my Easter Ham to cure.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Richie those collard greens look amaizing. I'm gonna have to try that sometime!


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## Sowsage (Mar 6, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> I've always made " Ham and beans " with great white northern beans , a ham hock or shank , onions and water . All cooked together . No stock of any kind , the ham bone or hock is the flavor . Curing and smoking your own is the way to go . Never called it soup because it's thick and full of ham .
> I think a long cook on a couple hocks , picked and added to " whatever " is a great way to use them and add a ton of flavor to a dish .
> I did the green beans as a side , but could eat as a meal . Crusty bread and a dark wheat beer , it's over .
> View attachment 434950
> ...


Great northern beans is what I'm planing on using. Originally I was thinking about SV the hocks and pick them to add to the beans in a slow cooker with some water and onions. Depending on how soft the skin is I may chop and add in as well. Or crisp under the broiler for a topping. I guess I didnt really think about opening the bag and adding the beans half way and finishing in the SV.


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## Sowsage (Mar 6, 2020)

Bearcarver said:


> Depending on how tough the Smoked Hocks are, that might be a real good idea.
> You don't want tough meat in your "Ham & Beans" no matter how tasty it is!!!
> We use Wax Beans & Double Smoked Ham. * Link:* Double Smoked Ham & Beans
> 
> ...


Those look awesome. I like the wax beans! I checked the hocks this morning before I left. They felt pretty darn firm at the 9hr mark. Planing on 24hr but if it needs to go longer so be it.


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## zwiller (Mar 6, 2020)

The ones here don't have much meat on them and the meat didn't have much flavor left.  Dad never used the skin but my uncle did use the skin and was nasty.  Chopping and or crisping might work.  It would be really cool to source some really nice meaty ones and cure and smoke.  

 chopsaw


 Bearcarver
 Both of those look killer and would tear them up along with a PB sandwich or 2.


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## idahopz (Mar 6, 2020)

Although I love using SV, when making beans and smoked hocks I use a pressure cooker just to make things quick and easy. I simply throw dry white beans into the electric pressure cooker, then layer the hocks on top, and fill with the required amount of water for the beans, season with salt and pepper. Set the pressure cooker for 75 minutes and they are automatically done (it shuts itself to warm when the time is up so you need not worry about over cooking).  

Meanwhile I boil a pot of diced potatoes for adding later. After the pressure cooking is done, gently take out the hocks (they tend to fall apart).  Separate the meat from the bones and skin and break up the meat and add to the pressure cooker pot of beans. My wife loves the skin and tendons, so she has me scrape the fat off the skin, dice it up along with the melting tendons and add them to the beans for extra richness. To finish it up, add the cooked diced potatoes to the pot of hocks and beans, and you have an easy comfort food dinner.


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## zwiller (Mar 6, 2020)

Pressure cooker...  Good idea!


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## Sowsage (Mar 6, 2020)

Just got home and checked on the hocks. They are pretty firm and springy . they are at the 20hr mark. I'm gonna go for some more time on these.


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## Sowsage (Mar 9, 2020)

Ok here is the update. The hocks ended up going 60 hr at 165° before they became fall off the bone.lol! Didnt figure it would take that long! Soaked the beans over night and added all the liquid from the sous vide bag and water all to a crock pot. Picked all the meat from the hocks and added in as well. Was only 4 hocks so not much meat. Cooked on low most the day. I was not going to add the flavor pack that came with the dry beans but after a taste test I decided to add half the packet. Also added some diced ham so there would be a little more meat. It was fun to try out but not sure I would do it this way again. Served with some jalapeno cheddar corn bread and some butter. Was pretty tasty.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 9, 2020)

Looks good. Glad to hear it all came together. SV is great for tenderizing cheap cuts of meat like Bear's Chuck Roast, that you will Reverse Sear, but SV seems pointless for other stuff. Put the Hocks and Seasoning in a pot with water. Simmer 1 hour and add the soaked Bean. In 2 more hours, stove top,  dinner is served. 
Running the SV for 60 hours for what takes 3 hours to cook, just makes no sense to me...JJ


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## Sowsage (Mar 9, 2020)

chef jimmyj said:


> Looks good. Glad to hear it all came together. SV is great for tenderizing cheap cuts of meat like Bear's Chuck Roast, that you will Reverse Sear, but SV seems pointless for other stuff. Put the Hocks and Seasoning in a pot with water. Simmer 1 hour and add the soaked Bean. In 2 more hours, stove top,  dinner is served.
> Running the SV for 60 hours for what takes 3 hours to cook, just makes no sense to me...JJ


After doing this I have to totally agree. I wanted to try it out though. I was curious to see if they ended up with a different level of tenderness. And they did but for 60 hr and a little bit of meat its just not the way to go. Sure was tasty though.


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## Sowsage (Mar 9, 2020)

I will say this. The amount of collagen that broke down in these is amazing. I ended up with 3/4 cup of liquid from 4 hocks. I added 7 cups of water to that and the 1lb of soaked dried beans. Made for a nice "fatty "mouth feel in the beans. The leftovers in the fridge look like a jello mold lol.


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## zwiller (Mar 9, 2020)

chef jimmyj
  What's your take on pressure cookers?  Seems like a great stock building tool.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 9, 2020)

My oldest got me an Instant Pot last Christmas. They to work well for certain foods. Soups, Stocks, Stews, Beans, it is great. But it's terrible for reducing anything. It's tall and narrow, reductions take a long time. Between set up, Browning meat, time building pressure, cook time, which is fast, and then reducing the sauce or Jus for Gravy, some stuff can be cooked in about the same time on the stove. My one daughter fond a Rib recipe on line. Basically Braised in BBQ Sauce, then Broil to get a Bark. They were tender, but tasted flat like Steamed Ribs Reheated on a Grill. Ok but nothing to write home about. I use it occasionally, same with my SV circulator and Crock Pot. 99% of the time I cook with traditional equipment...JJ


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