Pork Ham Hock slow roasted in Swellenbrew IPA beer

Pork is so much more than just neck and bacon, or pork belly for that matter. We want to appreciate jowl to hock, and everything in between. Cooking different cuts of pork isn’t difficult, it just takes time, mostly hands-off time.

Our pork meat is pasture raised, and is more red than your regular pork. That makes serving a ham almost like serving a slow roasted leg of lamb, perfect for a Sunday roast.

We brined these ham hocks overnight in our local Swellendam IPA by the Swellenbrew brewery. The Swellenbrew beers are available from the wine shop next to the Biltong Boys in the Wagenweg Boutique Market on Swellengrebel Street. The IPA is available on tap too, and you can collect by bringing a bucket for the brine.

Method

Trim the skin off hocks with a sharp knife, and score the fat.

Pour 1.25 litres of the beer and 750ml water into a large container and stir in the 80g salt until it has completely dissolved. Add the lemon zest and peppercorns. Submerge the ham hocks in the brine, making sure they are completely covered. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Remove the ham hocks from the brine. Stir the honey and mustard together and rub it all over the ham hocks.

Place the onions, carrots and celery in a large roasting dish and top with the ham hocks. Pour over 250ml of water and the remaining 250ml of beer.

Cover with a layer of baking paper, followed by a layer of foil. Cook in the oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours, basting the meat regularly with the juices and turning the hocks around from time to time. The meat should be falling off the bone. For the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, remove the foil from the ham.

Prepare your preferred side dish. Lentils or sorghum work well, or potato mash.

Remove the ham from the oven, and place the hams on a plate and vegetables in a bowl. Keep warm till serving. Pour the cooking juices from the oven dish into a pot and boil on medium to high heat to reduce. Once reduced by 50% the flavours will be perfect for a jus. In a small bowl, scoop a little of the juice and mix a tablespoon maizena in the small bowl for a smooth paste. Add to the pot to make create a velvety texture for the jus. Pour into a serving bowl.

Serve the shredded ham, carrots and onions along with your chosen side. Pour the jus over the shredded ham, and enjoy!

Tips:

* If you’re cooking four smaller ham hocks (each weighing roughly 600g) they will need 2 ½ to 3 hours in the oven, if they’re bigger it may take a little longer.

Original recipe by Rachel Koo