I'm back from vacation and ready to smoke...
Went to Yuan Ming today in Mississauga and found pork butt for $1.09/lb, but also my wife picked up 4 pork hocks. The darn things weigh 8.2lbs total or 2lb each!
I plan to smoke 2 of them... anyone out there with experience on these?
Thanks, Rich
Never smoked them. I generally just use them to add flavor and meat to veggies. They should smoke up just fine. Next time I use hocks I may try applying an hour or two of cold smoke then toss into the blackeyes to cook.
You can either wet cure (pickle) with curing salt, or brine them them first, or smoke them fresh. Smoke/cook them the same as fresh ham, at about 225°F, applying 3 hours of smoke, and bringing the internal temperature to 152°F. If you don't cure them you won't get that traditional ham like flavor, but fresh smoked ham is also good, brining will give it more of a country ham flavor. Then use them as Wildcat suggested.
I give them a bath in Honey Maple Cure from Sausage Maker or just use Hab's Canadian Bacon cure. I have only done the smaller ones and only cure for a day or two. Great with a long slow bubble with those black eyed peas.
Thanks, all.
My experience with pork hocks is from the Kitchener-Waterloo area where they cook them German style --- so I didn't cure, I just threw them in with a rub like the pork butt.
The results were ok, but I'm not a fan of the taste of pork hocks anyway. I should have left off the rub, as my wife really wanted to use the smoked hocks for bean soup....
Anyway, a good experiment...
Rich
BTW with one of them, I skinned it. With the other, I loosened it and folded it back sort of like wings. That one was the better.
If the Mrs. wants to use them in bean soup you will want more of a ham flavor. Follow Habs' advice above.
Smokeville
Where is this place in Mississauga? Thats a hell of a deal for a butt based on what I paid last time at another store. I am in Oakville at Trafalgar and QEW and Mississauga is not that far. I actually drove to St Jacobs last week and bought damn near 100 pounds of chicken ! Nice to see the freezer full. Even noce when that chicken is in my belly !
It's Yuan Ming, at 1000 Burnhamthorpe.... that address may be off a bit but it is right beside the courthouse. It used to be a CanTire.
The pork butt was $1.09/lb and the hocks were .69/lb. Check Flyermall.com and their flyer is online.
The butts weight about 4 lb each and were boneless. I prefer bone but they turned out just great anyway. Took 12 hours before they would even think about being pulled....
Oakville: Did you ever go to Southern Pride in off Hwy 24 north of Brantford? They have the BEST chicken around and great prices.
Smokerville: Pork hocks and kraut. Ziss zounds like zum scherman ding ya! I can't even look at pork hocks.........I think I still have some hanging around in my intestines ;)
I live right on Chicopee hill...........sound familiar.
Lumpy
Lumpy
Once I deplete some inventory I will check out Southern Pride. Occasionally I do find myself out in the Brantford area for work. I will be making a mental note and finding a way to get there.
Smokerville: I am pretty sure I know the area you are talking about. I will have to scoot in there the next time in Mississauga which tends to be every 2 or 3 weeks.