What is it?

Ham hocks come from the bottom part of the pig’s leg, between the meaty ham and the foot. They’re typically cured and smoked, which gives them a longer shelf life and a more complex flavor.

Ham hocks are traditionally used to flavor Southern classics like black-eyed peas and collard greens. Though they contain too little meat to be worth eating on their own, they’re great for boosting the flavor of other dishes, much as a bouillon cube does.

Don’t have it?

If you can’t find smoked ham hocks at the supermarket, a smoked turkey leg is a good substitute.

How to choose:

Look for ham hocks in the supermarket meat case, where they’re sometimes sold in two-packs. If your recipe only calls for only one, you can store the extra one, tightly wrapped, in the freezer for up to six months.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Honey-Tabasco Pork Belly with Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

  A brown sugar rub and a spicy-sweet glaze give this roasted belly a deliciously caramelized flavor. It’s served over bacony slow-simmered beans and tangy braised collards for a truly delicious…

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  Recipe

  Split Pea Soup

  This soup makes a nice hearty starter, especially garnished with croutons, but I also love to serve it with crusty whole wheat bread and call it dinner.

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  Recipe

  Hoppin' John

  In the South, eating Hoppin’ John—rice and black-eyed peas with pork—is supposed to bring luck (although no one’s quite sure why). Lucky or not, the hearty meal-in-a-bowl is the perfect…

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  Recipe

  Spicy Red-Eye Baked Beans

  The addition of the coffee, for which the recipe is named, deepens the other flavors in the beans.

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  Recipe

  Sausage-Maple Bread Stuffing

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  Recipe

  Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup with Almonds

  If you can’t find a ham hock, just leave it out—the soup will still taste terrific.

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  Recipe

  Beef Bourguignon

  This classic French braise is undeniably a project, but it is well worth the time. The secret is to modify your braising pot with an interior parchment and concave foil…