what's a ham hock??? (not sure if that's right)

[lucysmam]

someone referred to it earlier when i asked what i could buy for a very cheap weeks shopping but not a clue what it is and what i would do with it once i have it if i bought one!

although the price alone makes it tempting but would it feed 3 and how much meat would i get?

it's a pigs leg. very strong tasting.
I hate it. but then, I am a vegetarian, so might not count.
but if I wasn't I wouldn't eat it.

lol thisisyesterday, thanks, i wasnt sure what it was. don't suppose you know what i could do with it being veggie???

i've no idea about this. but since it has pig meat on it, surely a veggie cant have ham hock?

hmm I have only ever had it once.
I think it must have been roasted/baked. it was on the bone. that's all i know lol

I had it before I was vegetarian, obviously lol

The hock is the forearm so like a mini ham leg as opposed to the great big thigh bit we normally eat. It isn't very strong tasting - just tastes like ham really. You can buy them at our market cooked or uncooked for pennies (about £1.20) - I boil it for hours and hours with veggies till the meat falls off the bone - there's a bit of picking through to do but nothing worse than picking through a whole chicken. I then make vats and vats of thick lentil soup with veg and the shredded ham meat and one little hock does soup for at least 10!

I love ham hock.

[rumble rumble]

if you can only find a smoked one. boil in loads of water. throw away water. then put in fresh water and follow recipe. the first batch will be a horrid smokky and very very salty gloop

I must have just had a manky one then.

this is a good example of why vegetarians shouldn't answer threads about hulking great lumps of pig leg :D

thank you. would it be ok for making sarnies with as well as we go through loads of cold meats for sarnies but would save us some money on that if it could.

thanks for links littlelapin, will read them in the morning.

hangingbelly, ive never tried ham in soup as far as i know so could be well worth a go although not sure its soup weather atm but would be good in colder weather

califrau, it sounds like a bargain n tbvh thats what im after right now

cheers for the tip elmoandella, will remember that if i buy one, which i probably will judging by the price and fact that it sounds quite versatile

it makes fantastic sandwiches. but not much meat. cook 2 hock in the broth if you want extra for cheap sarnies.

yeah you're right - not soup weather! I' haven't ventured into sarnies but i'm sure it would do fine.

lmao@ thisisyesterday!! probably very true but you did answer my question about what it was in the first place

try not to get a smoked one. alot less hassle.

hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm [slevering emoticon] ham hock sarnies with pickle and crusty tiget loaf.

elmoandella, is there enough meat to make sarnies for 3 for a couple of days or a couple of salads or something like that maybe?

by the sounds of this i'll be having a wander to market for one at the weekend when i go for fruit and veggies

depends on the size of them. the ones i get at tesco will have enough meat for 1 fat bugger (adults) and to little munchers (kids) in a single hock.

for sarnies. you will probably get between 4-6 sandwiches per hock.

for salad??? not sure if it'd make great salad.

i like to get a couple of wee ones. boil them. then roast with veggies. give everyone their own little ones (we like munching off the bone). and it goes absolutely sublimely with a hot redcurrant sauce.

ooooh, that sounds quite tasty to me. dont know if oh would be keen on the redcurrant sauce.

what else would you do with it if not salads?

soups mostly. but as you said. not the weather.

not great honey glazed.

stir fry:

boil it, then pick meat off and make some use the stock as a sauce. throw in some pak choi. serve on noddles.

risotto.

boil it up. throw in some risotto. take out bone. throw meat back in. add some veggies.