$$ · braised beef, lamb neck, pot roasts, and stews
Braise a knuckle until the meat leaves the bone
Browning meat on the stovetop, then braising it slowly in the oven.
Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Also called
🇺🇸Ham hock🇲🇽🇪🇸Codillo de cerdo🇦🇷Codillo🇫🇷Jarret de porc🇵🇹Joelho de porco🇧🇷Joelho suíno🇮🇹Stinco di maiale🇩🇪Eisbein🇩🇪Schweinshaxe↗🇫🇷Jambonneau↗
Jens Jäpel, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons — Eisbein und Spitzbein.jpg
The ham hock is the joint between the lower leg and the foot of the pig. It is rich in collagen, cartilage, and connective tissue that dissolve into gelatin during long, slow cooking. It is typically sold smoked or cured and used to add deep, smoky richness to beans, lentils, and braised greens. Roasted or braised, the skin crisps into crackling.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Ham hock | Almost always sold smoked in the US, used to flavor beans and greens |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Pork knuckleprimary | In the UK often roasted until the skin crisps |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Codillo de cerdo | |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Codillo | |
| 🇫🇷France | Jarret de porc | |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Codillo de cerdo | Codillo al horno is a popular Spanish dish |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Joelho de porco | |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Joelho suíno | |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Stinco di maiale | |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Eisbein | Boiled/cured rear hock; 'Schweinshaxe' is the Bavarian roasted version. |
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