Everyone loves salty, smokey goodness. Everyone… even vegans. This is why tempeh bacon and soy ham exist. However, these are not soy, no sir. These are pastured ham hocks. Cured, smoked, and perfect. They actually remind me of babi guling that I ended up needing to eat far too many times in Bali. I think I could live off odd pork bits (hello, collagen!) to be honest. In reality, almost every culture has some sort of roasted pork dish, and this week I wanted to honor that gloriousness and use every single scrap of these CSA ham hocks. It is kind-of a weird cut for American culture, being the knee to the foot of the pig. It’s tough, bony, and tendonous. To me that translates to, in the words of Guy Fieri, “Taking me to Flavortown.” When I opened the package, there were some hocks, and what also looked like some fat back, or other miscellaneous skin-on smoked fat.
Okay, time to party.

Part 1: Hock Stock

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Rainshadow Ham HocksWaterSalt

Steps:

  1. Hocks and fat go into the slow cooker covered with salted water for roughly 8 hours.
  2. Remove all hock from bone broth. Strain into glass container.
  3. Don’t discard the fat that collects on top! So useful for things like Tamale Dough (recipe on Rainshadow Organics Website)
  4. Use to cook in literally everything that would otherwise require water. 😉

Part 2: Hock Fat Peppercorn Aioli

Ingredients:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Avocado oil (approx ½ cup)
  • Hock fat (approx ½ cup)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste (I prefer Alder Smoked Salt)
  • Small handful chopped parsley

Steps:

  1. Separate meat from fat. Reserve meat aside.
  2. Take a spoon and  scrape fat from the skin. Reserve skin aside.
  3. Use a stick blender (preferred) or regular blender to puree all ingredients together.
  4. Keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Part 3: Hock Stock Beet and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

  • ½  lb. beets, coarsely chopped
  • ½  lb. carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 qt. (Large Mason jar) Hock stock
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Pressure cook carrots, 1 clove garlic, apple cider vinegar, and half of the stock for 40 minutes.
  2. Use a stick blender or blender to puree all together once cooled. Set aside.
  3. Pressure cook beets, 1 clove garlic, and cayenne pepper with the rest of the stock for 40 minutes.
  4. Use a stick blender or blender to puree all together once cooled. Set aside.
  5. Heat each soup separately  and swirl together to serve
  6. Garnish with crispy hock skin. (Recipe on Rainshadow Organics Website)

Part 4: Crispy Pork Skins

Directions:

  1. Take rendered skins that have been scraped of fat and cook on medium low heat until crispy, roughly 10 minutes on each side. Flip every few minutes.
  2. Sprinkle with salt and garnish soup or salad.
Cheers!
-@theprimalfocus

Part 5: Tender Ham Hock and Greens

Ingredients:
  • Ham hock meat
  • Favorite salad mix
  • Hock Fat Peppercorn Aioli (Recipe on Rainshadow Organics Website)
  • Crispy Pork Skin (Recipe on Rainshadow Organics Website)

Directions:

  1. Pull ham hock meat, tossing the little weird non-meat bits
  2. Chop veggies of choice and assemble a nice salad
  3. Top with hock meat
  4. Dress with hock fat peppercorn aioli
  5. Top with Crispy Pork Skin

Part 6: Wild Mushroom Risotto with Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 qt (possibly more) Hock stock
  • ½ lb. mushroom of choice
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 3 cloves (or 100 if you’re me) garlic, sliced thin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice of one Lemon
  • ½ lb. asparagus
  • 6 slices prosciutto
  • Sliced scallion for garnish
  • Shaved parmesan for garnish.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F
  2. Cut of the bottom inch of the asparagus and divide into 6 equal portions
  3. Wrap each portion in one slice of prosciutto and place on a nonstick sheet pan
  4. Bake until the asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is crispy, roughly 10 minutes. Set aside.
  5. Lightly toast arborio rice in a medium high pan until slightly golden. Watch the pan… it goes quick.
  6. Pour in white wine and stir until absorbed, stirring often
  7. Pour in half the stock a cup at a time until absorbed, stirring often
  8. Put in onion, garlic, and mushroom. Keep stirring
  9. Continue pouring stock one cup at a time until absorbed and until rice is just slightly al dente. Salt and pepper to taste
  10. Squeeze half lemon per portion over the risotto and top with crispy prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
  11. Garnish with shaved parmesan and sliced scallion

Part 7: Hock Fat Tamale Dough

Ingredients:
  • 2.5 cups Masa Harina (instant corn flour)
  • 2 cups hot hock stock
  • 1 cup room temp or warmer rendered hock fat
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ancho (or any chili) powder
  • Bag dried corn husks

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. If it is a little wet, add a bit more masa. If it is a little dry, add a bit more stock. Consistency should be a little tacky, similar to bread dough.
  2. Press into corn husks that have been soaked until soft (20 minutes)
  3. Fill will favorite tamale filling
  4. Bake at 375 F on a sheet pan on the top rack with a pan of water on the second rack to keep moist. These tamales will still have crispy bits. Steam for fork tender tamales. Both ways need about an hour

Part 8: Crispy Hock Carnitas with Winter Arugula

Ingredients:
  • Pulled hock meat
  • Chilled solid rendered hock fat from the top of hock stock
  • Cumin
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Arugula
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Persian cucumber
  • Cotija cheese
  • Green onion

Directions:

  1. Slice cucumber and tomato and assemble with arugula
  2. Fry pulled hock meat and hock fat with a little cumin, salt and pepper until crispy
  3. Top the greens with crispy hock meat
  4. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and sliced green onions