# Smoked Pork Hocks



## lcruzen (May 3, 2010)

Someone a buddy of mine knows 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 since 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!


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## cowgirl (May 3, 2010)

Great looking hocks Lou! Bet they will be sooo tasty.


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## south jersey bbq tim (May 3, 2010)

very nice..sounds good for soup


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## erain (May 3, 2010)

looks dang good man!!! hope you share these other dishes where you plan to utilize these fine hocks in. great job!!!


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## smoke 2 geaux (May 3, 2010)

Man, in my opinion that's one of the best parts of the pig.  I can just taste the beans, mustard greens, soup etc....

Good job.


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## mballi3011 (May 3, 2010)

Well shutter me timbers. I have never seen or heard of smoked ham hocks but you have really made them look awesome and delicious. I might just have to give them a try.


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## caveman (May 3, 2010)

Good Gosh Man!!!!  Really, send me some of them uncooked ones!!!!


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## chainsaw (May 3, 2010)

They look great-and I love using the less expensive parts to make great dishes. That is why I got our smoker. Good job!


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## meateater (May 3, 2010)

You scored! I love them and smoke them myself.


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## jjw (May 4, 2010)

soup beans arent really soup though, just pork-seasoned pinto beans. read this:

also, from wikipedia:

"*Soup beans* is a term common in the Southern United States, particularly the regions around the Appalachian Mountains. It refers to pinto or other brown dried beans cooked with smoked pork as flavoring.1 Soup beans are usually served with cornbread, greens (such as boiled cabbage, cauliflower, or fried saurkraut and weenies), corn (whole or sweet), and potatoes (stewed or fried) and may be topped with raw chopped onions. Soup beans are considered a main course, but also serve as a side dish. In rural areas, where food was scarce during the winter, these dried beans were a staple food."


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## smiles055 (Sep 3, 2011)

Thanks for sharing your pork hock experience. My father-in-law wants me to smoke a bunch of pork hocks for him. Your posting is truly inspirational.


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## terry colwell (Sep 3, 2011)

why not just eat them like a Pork Chop.. Shove a stick in them and there Pork Cycles


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## squirrel (Sep 3, 2011)

Smoked hocks are a southern staple for sure. I can't imagine a pot of pinto beans without a couple of smoked hocks. Yummmm. Cornbread, beans and rice. Fried chicken. That's what I'm talking about.


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## moikel (Sep 4, 2011)

Looks great,have you thought of using the unsmoked  ones to make an osso bucco? No reason it has to be veal/beef. Ive made it before with pork & venison just cut membrane so meat doesnt curl.dust it in season flour. make as per recipe.White wine not red,celery ,carrots onion garlic etc slow braise. Smoked hocks down here very popular for soup .


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## SmokinAl (Sep 4, 2011)

Bet they would be good in scalloped potatoe's.


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## daveomak (Sep 4, 2011)

Thse are the best lookin' hocks I've seen.........I've got the lima beans to go with them hocks.......


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