Peasant Dishes

Ham Hocks and Beans

The first of the peasant dishes is called "Ham hocks and beans". The meat is ham hocks. And yes, you’ve guessed it, ham hocks are a lesser cut of meat. The ham of the pig was of course the top cut of meat. But, just below the ham is the leg shank. The hock comes from the part of the shank between the ham and the ankle. The ham was typically smoke-cured for preservation. Before the ham was sold to the wealthier clientele the hock was cut off because the wealthy class was not interested in serving this portion to their guest. This part of the leg shank contains way too much skin, fat, bone and gristle to be considered as palatable as ham. Remember, the goal has always been to “live high on the hog”.

Of course the butcher would save these scraps for his less fortunate customers. Since this cut of pig did not offer a whole lot of sustenance, the peasant folk would boil the ham hock in water until it was very tender.

Beans, rice, potatoes, and whatever else was leftover from last night's meal was added to the stew. It was all about using everything you had and not letting any part of the animal go to waste. Why not eat the hock? It tastes just like ham and it's cheaper.

Now once you had your fill of this smoky goodness, you had the divine delicacy of “pot liquor”. What pray tell is “pot liquor”, you might ask. I’m glad you asked. “Pot liquor” is the liquid portion of the reduced broth and vegetable gravy that is left at the bottom of the pot when the main contents are finished. No flour based gravy can ever compete with this nectar of the gods. I have seen family dinner tables erupt in pandemonium over this stuff. If you are ever offered “pot liquor” do not hesitate. And make sure to have biscuit in hand for sopping the juices from the pot. I promise you will be blissfully full afterward. As you would imagine, in a savory cycle that seems to never end, the leftovers from the ham hock supper, if there are any, are traditionally incorporated into the next meal. We’ll take a look at how to do that in the next episode.

The Recipe
Ham Hocks and Beans

4 Smoked Ham hocks
2 Cups Black-Eyed Peas
2 Cups Lima Beans

Preparation: Boil ham hocks in 12 cups of water for 1 hour. Remove ham hocks from pot. Slice away all the skin from the hock and refrigerate in an air tight container. Trim all meat away from bones. Leave one cup of broth in the original pot. Pour the rest of the broth into a container and refrigerate. You'll get to use the refrigerated broth for another dish. Place meat and bones back into the pot. Add beans to the mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with biscuits and greens.