A very cheap cut that makes great crackling; tasty meat that can last for a few meals; and a lovely soup
Ham hock is a very cheap cut that has a surprising amount of meat on it. The smoked hock lasts a bit longer, but the high salt content has to be washed off first, and cooking the hock in water will not only do that, but make the meat lovely and tender to make roasting easier.
The upside to the prep is that the first part - the cooking/soaking leaves you with a great base for a variety of soups - such as Ginger & Coriander Soup
INGREDIENTS
celery
leek
onion
carrots
smoked ham hock
potatoes
Watch the video
METHOD
Scrub the carrots, peel the onion and remove the outer leaves and any woody ends from the leek - this depends on how old it is, or when you picked it
Coarsely chop the onions, celery, leeks and carrots
Fry them in a little oil in a pan big enough to take the ham hock
When they're softened, add the ham hock and cover in water - it will take a lot of water, depending on the size
Cook for 3 hours, skimming any froth that sits on the surface
Remove the ham and pat dry or leave to dry
Peel and halve the potatoes
Parboil them - this means put them in cold water, bring it to the boil but only for about 5-7 minutes. Depending on the type of potatoes you have (and their age) they should be fine with this; any longer and they'll start to disintegrate if they're too floury. If you're not sure: err on the short side, or - if they do go wrong - add some butter, salt and pepper and mash them!
Drain the potatoes. Add turmeric and pepper, put the lid on them and give them a good shake to coat them and bash them about: it's the battered edges that really crisp up
Heat the oven to 190º
Score the rind on the ham with a very sharp knife. There is no need to salt it at all.
Wrap the meat in tinfoil, leaving the rind exposed; this will keep the meat - already cooked in the broth - tender and moist while the rind crisps into delicious crackling
Roast in the oven for 1 hour
Add the potatoes after 30 minutes
After an hour, take out the potatoes and drain on paper. If the crackling isn't yet crispy enough, turn the oven up 200º - 220º depending on how short of crispiness you are, and give it another 10 minutes while the potatoes drain. Keep your eye on it.
Any leftover meat will keep in Tupperware in the fridge for a few days, and is a great addition to chilli dishes or hash (potato dish - not marijuana)
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