There are two cuts of meat that have nothing to do with steaks or roasts, but are the heart of some of our heartiest meals. We’re talking about ham hocks and lamb shanks. And as I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, I clearly remember him serving me lamb shanks at Corks, way back in the day, and I was blown away. Jerry recalls them well, because they were a very popular dish.
A lot of us discovered ham hocks when we wanted to start making split pea and ham soup. It’s an amazing ingredient. Let's talk about where they both come from.
The ham hock is a joint from the pig's lower leg, more or less the ankle, fore or hind. And not only does it have some meat in it, it is loaded with collagen and connective tissue that cooks down, releasing gelatin into your cooking liquid, giving it incredible richness. And for extra flavor, it usually is smoked. Most grocery stores carry smoked ham hocks.
In some respects the lamb shank is similar, but it's not a joint. It corresponds to the shin of the lamb, and each animal has four, the hind pair being much larger. Because that part of the animal gets a load of work, it is initially tough, so it also requires long slow cooking.
Let's take a look at the ham hock first. Famously, it is a staple of Southern cooking, and figures heavily in traditional African-American dishes. For instance, you take a dish like ham hocks and collard greens, which has to go back centuries. Back in the day it was so useful for folks who didn't have a lot of money. Same goes for something like Red Beans and Rice with a ham hock. Cheap ingredients made so much better by throwing a remnant cut of pork into the pot.
When I use ham hocks, I wash them them to take off the excess salt. Then I score the tough skin that covers the joint, because I want to easily peel it off after cooking and get to the meat. Make no mistake, the skin is not a terribly appetizing part of the hock, although some recipes for roasted ham hocks will tell you not to remove the skin, and let it stay on to get super crispy.
For most uses, how do we go about cooking hocks? Most often it's a braise, which means a long slow cook in a flavorful liquid. And for that we like a vegetable infused broth (chicken or ham) that we can replenish if necessary, as the dish cooks down. We think you should spend three to four hours simmering the hock to get it soft enough to peel the skin.
When I’m making pea soup, I like to cook the hocks long and slow in the broth, pull themout and peel the skin, then toss them back in the broth and then add the dried peas, which will cook pretty quickly. And of course, you want to toss in all those diced carrots and onions we’llbe adding to the soup.
And cooking the lamb shank is very similar. The big difference is you should sear the shank before braising it, to get it nice and brown. For the braise, you could use chicken or vegetable broth along with all your standard aromatic veggies. And I think a bouquet garni of various herbs and spices is certainly a good idea. After you’ve got your shanks cooked, you can make a sauce out of the braising liquid. Just strain out the used-up vegetables, replenish with a fresh supply and simmer of the veg and allow it to reduce while it cooks the veggies. Then just
ladle it over the lamb shanks on your plate.
And one further note, there's a lot more meat on a lamb shank than a ham hock, particularly the hind shanks. You’ll find there is a ton of meat and one big shank can easily feed two people. Once again, the whole idea is low and slow. To get it there you'll want to cook themfor about three hours on stove-top over low to medium heat, or in a 300° oven. Do it right and the meat will literally fall right off the bone.
Finally, nothing beats whipping up some mashed potatoes and use that reduced braising liquid as a sauce. You’ll want a big strong red wine and that traditional loaf of crusty bread.
