Ginger beer ham hocks

Name: Ginger beer ham hocks
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 60 min
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: For the ham hocks; 2 x 600g British smoked or unsmoked free-range ham hocks (see tip); 750ml ginger beer; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 4cm piece root ginger, bashed with the flat of a knife blade; For the glaze; 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 2 tbsp dark brown sugar; 2 tbsp runny honey

By: Felicity Cloake

Published: 3 May 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Felicity Cloake slow-cooks ham hock in ginger beer until falling away from the bone before covering in a sticky mustard, sugar and honey glaze. Stick under a hot grill for 10 minutes to caramelise, then serve with salad and new potatoes.

Use up any leftovers in this green eggs and ham recipe made with lentils, kale and poached eggs.

Serves 6-8
Hand-on time 30 min, simmering time 2½ hours

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Ingredients

For the ham hocks

2 x 600g British smoked or unsmoked free-range ham hocks (see tip)
750ml ginger beer
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
4cm piece root ginger, bashed with the flat of a knife blade

For the glaze

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp runny honey

Method

Put the hocks in a saucepan just big enough to hold them with a little room around the sides (see tip). Add the ginger beer, bay leaf, peppercorns and root ginger and pour over enough cold water to just cover. Bring to the boil, skim away any froth or scum that forms on the surface, then turn down the heat, cover partially and simmer very gently for about 2½ hours until the meat is very tender and coming away from the bones. Let the hocks cool in the liquid.
Pat the ham hocks dry with kitchen paper. Using a paring knife carve away the skin leaving as much fat behind as possible, then score the fat in a criss-cross pattern.
Heat the grill to medium. Mix together the mustard, sugar and honey and brush all over the hams. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning so they brown evenly, and brushing on leftover glaze as you turn them. Once golden and bubbling, remove from the grill and allow to cool before wrapping for travelling or pulling the meat from the bones.

Recipe from June 2018 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 244kcals
Fat: 7.2g (2.3g saturated)
Protein: 34.8g
Carbohydrates: 10g (9.8g sugars)
Fibre: 0.3g
Salt: 3.2g

delicious. tips

Check with your butcher if the ham hocks need to be soaked in a large bowl of cold water overnight. Traditionally cured meat used to need to be soaked overnight to reduce the lingering salty flavour from the curing process, but it’s not usually necessary these days.

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