Hocks › How to boil or braise a ham hock
How to boil or braise a ham hock
Boiling or braising is the foundation for every ham hock recipe. Get this right and the soup, terrine and pulled meat all follow.
What you need
- 1 or 2 ham hocks, smoked or unsmoked.
- A large pan (big enough to cover the hock with water) with a lid.
- An onion, a carrot, a celery stick, a bay leaf, a few peppercorns and thyme or parsley stalks.
- Time: about 3 hours from start to eating, plus soaking.
Step 1: soak (if needed)
Put the hock in a large bowl of cold water and leave it in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water once or twice. This draws out some of the curing salt. If the pack says no soaking is needed, or the hock is fresh rather than cured, skip this. If you are unsure, a short soak of a few hours is a sensible compromise, and you can always taste the stock before you use it.
Keep the hock in the fridge while it soaks. Do not leave raw meat in warm water on the counter.
Step 2: the first boil (optional)
Many cooks bring the soaked hock to the boil in fresh water, boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This removes more salt and scum, and gives a cleaner stock. It is a good habit if the hock is very salty or you plan to use the cooking liquid for soup.
Step 3: simmer slowly
Put the hock back in the pan with fresh cold water to cover, and add the vegetables, bay, peppercorns and herbs. Bring it to a gentle boil, skim off any foam, then turn the heat down until it just bubbles. Put the lid on, slightly ajar. Cook for about 2 to 3 hours, topping up with hot water if it drops below the meat.
It is ready when the meat is very tender and pulls easily from the bone, and the skin is soft. Larger hocks take longer. Do not try to rush it with a hard boil; the meat turns stringy and the stock goes cloudy.
Braising instead of boiling
For a richer, more rounded flavour, braise the hock in the oven. Place it in a lidded casserole with an onion, carrot, herbs and about half the hock's height in liquid: stock, cider or a mix of cider and water. Cook at around 150°C (130°C fan) for 3 to 3½ hours, turning once. Check the liquid halfway. Braising reduces the liquid into a glaze you can spoon over the meat.
How to tell it is done
- The meat feels soft when pushed with a fork and pulls away from the bone.
- There is no pink, fleshy meat inside, and the juices are clear.
- If you have a food thermometer, check the middle of the meat away from the bone.
Pork must be cooked all the way through. See our food safety page for the Food Standards Agency's guidance on temperatures.
After cooking
Lift the hock out onto a board and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the skin (keep it for crackling if you like), then pull the meat from the bone in chunks, discarding gristle and excess fat. The stock should be strained and tasted. If it is pleasantly salty, use it for pea and ham soup. If it is too salty, dilute it with water or throw it away.
What to do with the meat
- Serve with mash, cabbage and parsley sauce.
- Press it into a terrine.
- Shred it for sandwiches, pies or pasta; see pulled ham hock.
- Stir it into beans, lentils or colcannon.
Common mistakes
- Not soaking a salty hock, then reducing the stock further.
- Boiling hard rather than simmering.
- Throwing away the stock without tasting it.
- Leaving the cooked hock on the side for hours. Cool and refrigerate it promptly.