Making Soup
That split pea soup that I made a couple of weeks ago with ham stock from a ham bone that I had left over was outstanding. Really really good. So, after consulting with my sister who keeps promising to get a LJ account but NEVER DOES, I bought some ham hocks to make lentil soup.
They were frozen, so I thawed them. My sister who keeps promising to get a LJ account but NEVER DOES said that she roasted her ham hocks before making stock, but I couldn't find time. (My sister who keeps promising to get a LJ account but NEVER DOES is a stay-at-home-mom to two brilliant sons whom I love as if they were my own, so she can arrange her day to roast ham hocks. My boss isn't so understanding.) I put them in the crock pot with only a little water. And sure enough when I came home from work, they were brown and sitting in about an inch of fat/juice. I added a quart of vegetable stock and left it on all night. This morning I took out the hocks, discarded the fat and bone (to the consternation and dismay of the Canine-Americans in our family), and put everything in the fridge to let the fat solidify. I'll skim it, add veges (celery, onion, potato and carrot) and lentils and let it cook for another 12 hours and we'll have soup!
Those hocks are weird, though. First of all, I'm used to dealing with poultry skin, but this was... different. And, wow, there's a lot of fat on those things.
What is a hock, anyway? [Cue the Jeopardy theme while I google a bit.] OK: "Pork hocks are cut from picnic shoulder and are similar to pork shank cross cuts. They contain two round shank bones exposed at both ends and are usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid." OK. It's the upper arm. No wonder there was so much fat on them. My personal hocks are getting ... heartier by the day.
Anyway, there is lentil soup in the offing. It promises to be good, but I think from now on, I'll get a ham. We'll eat some, use some for soup.
They were frozen, so I thawed them. My sister who keeps promising to get a LJ account but NEVER DOES said that she roasted her ham hocks before making stock, but I couldn't find time. (My sister who keeps promising to get a LJ account but NEVER DOES is a stay-at-home-mom to two brilliant sons whom I love as if they were my own, so she can arrange her day to roast ham hocks. My boss isn't so understanding.) I put them in the crock pot with only a little water. And sure enough when I came home from work, they were brown and sitting in about an inch of fat/juice. I added a quart of vegetable stock and left it on all night. This morning I took out the hocks, discarded the fat and bone (to the consternation and dismay of the Canine-Americans in our family), and put everything in the fridge to let the fat solidify. I'll skim it, add veges (celery, onion, potato and carrot) and lentils and let it cook for another 12 hours and we'll have soup!
Those hocks are weird, though. First of all, I'm used to dealing with poultry skin, but this was... different. And, wow, there's a lot of fat on those things.
What is a hock, anyway? [Cue the Jeopardy theme while I google a bit.] OK: "Pork hocks are cut from picnic shoulder and are similar to pork shank cross cuts. They contain two round shank bones exposed at both ends and are usually prepared by braising or by cooking in liquid." OK. It's the upper arm. No wonder there was so much fat on them. My personal hocks are getting ... heartier by the day.
Anyway, there is lentil soup in the offing. It promises to be good, but I think from now on, I'll get a ham. We'll eat some, use some for soup.