Cornish Outdoor Reared Ham Hocks

Cornish Outdoor Reared Ham Hocks

A ham hock (or pork knuckle) is the joint that connects a pig's foot to its leg.It is a tough, bony cut surrounded by connective tissue, thick skin, and fat, making it unsuitable for quick cooking. Instead, it is usually cured or smoked and braised low-and-slow, where its rich collagen melts to add deep, smoky flavour and a velvety body to soups, stews, and beans.

Growing in popularity thanks to love from food influencers, the humble hock is a great value cut. Pre-brined so suitable for boiling or roasting and great served hot or cold.

Weight: Pack of 2 – weight approx 2kg

Packaging: Vacuum-sealed, chilled

Origin: Cornwall, UK (Primrose Herd)

Storage: Keep refrigerated below 4°C.

Delivery: Delivery to Mainland UK only (excluding NI). Shipped via express delivery in high-quality packaging and insulation.

👨🍳 Chef’s Tip: Master Unsmoked Ham Hocks

"Unlike smoked hocks—which impart a dominant bacon-like flavor to whatever they are cooked in—unsmoked ham hocks offer a clean, rich pork profile and a sweet, gelatinous texture. Because they don't have smoke to mask imperfections or add ready-made flavor, the secret to cooking unsmoked hocks is desalting, aromatics-heavy gentle simmering, and a dual-stage finish."

1. Soak to Control Salt Levels (Overnight): Even unsmoked ham hocks are usually cured in brine. Place the raw hock in a large pot of cold water and let it soak in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours (changing the water once or twice). This draws out excess surface salt so your final dish or cooking broth isn't unpalatably salty.

2. The "Cold Start" Blanch: Put the hock in a pot, cover with fresh cold water, bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes, then skim off the grey foam that rises to the top and discard the water. This cleanses impurities, yielding a crystal-clear poaching stock later.

3. Build Deep Aromatics (Low & Slow Poach): Return the hock to the pot and cover with fresh water, cider, or light chicken stock. Because unsmoked meat needs flavor support, add generous aromatics:

   • 1 onion (halved, stuck with 2 cloves)

   • 2 carrots & 2 celery stalks

   • 1 bay leaf, fresh thyme, and 10 black peppercorns

   • Chef's secret: Add a dash of apple cider vinegar—the acid helps break down tough collagen faster.

4. Simmer Gently for 2.5 to 3 Hours: Cover and maintain a very low simmer (never a rolling boil, which toughens the meat). The hock is ready when the meat pulls easily away from the bone with a fork and the thick skin feels completely soft.

5. Choose Your Final Finish:

   • For Crispy Pork Knuckle (Schweinshaxe style): Score the soft skin in a diamond pattern, rub with sea salt, and roast at 220°C (200°C fan) for 25–30 minutes until the skin blisters into crunchy crackling.

   • For Terrines or Shredded Meat: Pull the hot meat off the bone in thick chunks, discard small bones and gristle, and mix with chopped parsley, whole-grain mustard, and a splash of the strained gelatinous broth. Press into a tin and chill into a classic ham hock terrine.

• Save the Broth! Never throw away the liquid left in the pot. It is packed with natural gelatin and rich pork flavor—strain it and use it as a luxurious base for split pea soup, lentil stew, or risotto.