What Is a Ham Hock? 3 Southern Chefs Explain, and Share Their Best Recipes

It’s easy to confuse with a ham bone, but they’re actually different. Find out why—and what a ham hock can do for your recipes.

You can order a deli meat ham sandwich at a sub shop, and many American families share Easter ham if they celebrate the holiday. And for many who were born and raised in the South, ham hock might just be your family’s secret to the best pot of beans or greens.

For those in the Northern states—and even among some Southerners—it can be surprising to learn that ham hock isn’t actually from the ham at all. So what is a ham hock, really, and what are the best ham hock recipes to put it to good use? We spoke with Southern chefs to get the dish.

Meet Our Expert

• Jeb Aldrich, executive chef at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley, North Carolina

• Kelsey Barnard Clark, chef and owner of Eat KBC in Dothan, Alabama and the author of Southern Get-Togethers

• Kevin Gillespie, chef and co-owner of Red Beard Restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia

What Is a Ham Hock?

Since a ham—the kind we spiral-cut, glaze, or slice and serve inside hoagies—is from the upper part of a pig’s hind legs, a ham hock isn’t technically part of the ham. Think of ham as the thigh and butt portion of a hog’s back legs. The ham bone is what remains after you roast and carve that portion. A ham hock, conversely, is a meaty bone portion that’s similar to a hog’s ankle (if they had one).

“A ham hock, also called a pork knuckle, is the bottom part of the pig's leg that attaches the foot,” says Kelsey Barnard Clark, chef and owner of Eat KBC in Dothan, Alabama and the author of Southern Get-Togethers.

Ham hock is similar to ham and ham bone in some ways, adds Kevin Gillespie, chef and co-owner of Red Beard Restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course, all come from pigs, and “the prep for ham hock is almost identical to ham that you slice for a sandwich: it’s cured and smoked,” Gillespie says. “The major difference is that ham hock is meant for seasoning. A ham bone is often taken out after the meat is prepped. A ham hock still has the meat and skin attached.”

This means that ham hocks are not "deboned,” and by utilizing both the bone and the meat attached to it in recipes, you’ll score savory, salty, and smoky flavor, and what Barnard Clark calls a “gelatinous buttery” quality.

Due to the bone, plus the tendons and connective tissue that are along for the ride, “there’s a lot of collagen in ham hock, which releases gelatin to give recipes richer flavor,” explains Jeb Aldrich, executive chef at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Related: 21 Leftover Ham Recipes You’ll Look Forward to Making

Where to Buy Ham Hocks

In the South, you can often find ham hocks in the meat section at supermarkets like Piggly Wiggly (Barnard Clark’s favorite). Many butchers across the country will also have them behind their counters. Nationwide, it’s easy to source online via retailers like Broadbent, Wild Fork, and Heritage Foods.

Seek out ham hock that’s dark in color and “aggressively smoked,” Gillespie suggests. You’ll generally have two options:

• Dry-cured ham hock, also called “country ham,” is a salty, dry, and shelf-stable option. It lends a very robust flavor to help season your recipes, Gillespie says.

• Wet-cured ham hock, which you might see labeled as “city ham,” is brined for an extended period of time. The result is higher in moisture and typically sweeter than its dry-cured competition. Gillespie recommends seeking out larger wet-cured ham hocks with a high ratio of meat to bone for the best results.

How to Store Ham Hocks

Refrigerate ham hocks in their original package, a zip-top bag, or an airtight container. If your ham hocks are vacuum-sealed, they’ll last about 2 weeks. Otherwise, plan to use them within 1 week.

“If you’re looking to save it for longer, you can freeze the ham hock and thaw when ready to use,” Aldrich says. Place your ham hock in a zip-top bag, label with the date, and freeze for up to 1 year. “Since it holds flavor well, you’ll still get the smoked, flavorful benefits of using it fresh.”

How to Use Ham Hocks

As we hinted to earlier, dry-cured ham hock is often used as a signature savory element in cooked greens as well as pots of beans or black eyed peas.

For what Aldrich calls “real Southern greens,” try “braising collards and dry-cured ham hock in stock, then add a bit of vinegar at the end,” he recommends. Our Slow-Simmered Kale with Ham will coach you through how to DIY.

Barnard Clark opts to put dry-cured ham hock in almost any dish she plans to slow cook or braise, including all soups and chili recipes. Give this a go in this fan-favorite Pressure Cooker Ham and Mixed Bean Soup. Or try it instead of bacon in Refried Black-Eyed Peas.

As for wet-cured ham hock, Gillespie is fond of braising it whole and serving it similar to osso buco (veal or beef shanks), over rice or potatoes. Or roast the meat on the bone, slice it off, and use the pork for dumpling filling, he suggests.

No matter what ham hock recipe you choose, aim for a low and slow strategy. The meat tends to be tough and needs some time to break down to tender territory.

The Best Substitutes for Ham Hocks

If you can’t find ham hock and are craving a similar flavor experience, our experts nominate the following runners-up:

• The smokiest, fattiest bacon you can find.

• Any other smoked pork product you enjoy (Barnard Clark is keen on Conecuh Sausage).

• The center bone in a roast holiday ham, preferably with a bit of meat still attached.

• Smoked turkey wings and necks (ideal if you don’t eat pork).
  

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