Skip the store-bought ones and learn how to smoke your own neck bones and ham hocks! These smoked neck bones and ham hocks are simple to make and will make your soups, stews, and chili taste SO much better.
Ham hocks are a delicious cut of pork that come from the lower portion of the pig’s leg. When cured properly, ham hocks become tender and flavorful – perfect for soups, stews, beans, greens, and many other dishes. Curing ham hocks at home is easy and rewarding. With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can make your own cured ham hocks right in your kitchen.
Why Cure Ham Hocks?
Curing ham hocks transforms them from tough to tender. The curing process breaks down the proteins and connective tissues, making the meat succulent and easy to bite into. Curing also deeply seasons the ham, infusing it with salt, sugar, and other spices. This builds big, bold flavor. Finally, curing preserves the ham hocks, allowing them to be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Curing Ingredients
Curing ham hocks requires just a few simple ingredients
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Spices and herbs (optional)
The salt preserves the meat while also drawing out moisture to concentrate flavor. Sugar balances out some of the harshness of the salt. Spices like garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, juniper berries, and others add layers of flavor.
Step-by-Step Curing Instructions
Curing ham hocks takes 5-7 days from start to finish. Here is the complete process:
1. Make the Brine
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot.
- Add 1⁄4 cup of kosher salt and 1⁄4 cup of sugar to the boiling water. Stir to dissolve.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the brine to cool slightly. You want it warm but not scalding hot.
- Add 4 cups of ice to the pot, stirring constantly until melted. This brings the brine down to room temperature quickly.
2. Submerge the Ham Hocks
- Place the ham hocks in a large bowl or container.
- Pour the cooled brine over the ham hocks until they are fully submerged.
- If needed, weigh the hocks down with a plate to keep them under the brine.
3. Cure in the Refrigerator
- Cover the container and place in the refrigerator.
- Cure for 5-7 days, flipping the hocks halfway through.
- The longer they cure, the more flavor they develop.
4. Remove and Rinse
- After 5-7 days, remove the ham hocks from the brine.
- Rinse them under cool water to remove excess salt.
- Pat them dry.
5. Use Immediately or Cook and Freeze
At this point, the cured ham hocks are ready to use in recipes. For longer storage they can be cooked through and frozen.
- Simmer the hocks in fresh water or broth until tender, about 1-2 hours.
- Allow to cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags.
- They will keep frozen for 2-3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Cured ham hocks are incredibly versatile in the kitchen Here are just a few ways to put them to delicious use
- Add to bean or pea soups and stews. The ham hocks impart deep flavor.
- Simmer with collard greens, mustard greens, or kale.
- Use in jambalaya, gumbo, or other Creole/Cajun dishes.
- Split and stuff with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs, then bake.
- Dice and add to potato hash or breakfast skillets.
- Mix into cornbread batter before baking for flecks of ham throughout.
- Simmer in bean chili or vegetarian chili for a smoky accent.
With this easy curing method, you can make the most of inexpensive ham hocks. Curing them yourself allows you to customize the flavors to your taste. Rinse, cook, freeze, and transform these tough cuts into tender, mouthwatering ham hocks worth savoring.
How to Use Smoked Neck Bones
Anything that could use some savory, umami-rich, and smoky flavor will love having a smoked neck bone added to it. You can add them to the following dishes while they’re cooking to make them taste even better:
What are Smoked Neck Bones?
Southern cooking is built around smoked neck bones and ham hocks. They are often eaten with beans, potatoes, rice, cabbage, and other vegetables. They are also used in soups and stews, where they are slow-cooked until the meat is smokey and falls off the bone. If you like to spice up your food, especially soups and stews, you’ve probably bought smoked neck bones or ham hocks before. For example, split pea soup. Can you imagine making it without a smoked ham hock? No way!.
But have you ever made your own smoked neck bones or ham hocks? If not, you can roughly estimate that the flavor would be about a hundred times stronger. I made my homemade chili a couple of weeks ago and it’s always a hit. But this time I thought I added a smoked neck bone, and wow, that chili was even better!
I used pork neck bones in the pictures below to show how to do it, but the process for making homemade smoked ham hocks is the same. It’s easy to make these; you just have to wait a little while for the neck bones or ham hocks to soak in the brine. Once the waiting game is up it’s time to smoke them, and that part is relatively quick.
Home Raised, Home Cured Ham & Ham Hocks!
FAQ
How long does it take to cure ham hocks?
How to cure a pork hock at home?
Does ham hock need to be soaked?
How long do you boil ham hocks for?
How do you keep ham hocks from leaking?
Put a dish under the bowl or bag to catch any leaks and place it in the fridge. Refrigerate. Let the ham hocks sit in the brine in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Flip them each day to ensure they are brining evenly. Rinse and dry. After 1 week, rinse the brine off the ham hocks and pat them dry.
How do you brine ham hocks?
Add 4 cups ice to the pot, stirring until the ice is mostly melted, and the brine reaches room temperature. Place ham hocks in a large bowl or container. Pour the brine over them, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for maximum flavor absorption.
Can ham hocks be frozen?
Add 2-3 pounds of ham hocks to the brine. Check that the hocks are fully submerged in the brine and cover the bowl (or place them in a freezer bag with the brine). Put a dish under the bowl or bag to catch any leaks and place it in the fridge. Refrigerate. Let the ham hocks sit in the brine in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
How do you cook ham hocks?
This recipe uses a basic salt, sugar, and water brine that will infuse your ham hocks with a nice balance of flavor while helping to retain moisture during smoking. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a pot. In the same pot, add 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar to the boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.