Ham Hock With Red Cabbage Food

HAM HOCK WITH RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the slow cooker: Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Put the ham hocks in the pot and cover with water so that the cooker is three-quarters full. Cover with the lid and cook on auto/low for 6-8 hours. Remove the hams and reserve the cooking liquid, if you wish to use it instead of the vegetable stock (it can be salty). When the hams are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, then sit the hams back in the slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients, using either the stock or the cooking liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook on auto/low for 6-8 hours. Remove the hams, shred the meat, and stir it into the slow cooker. Serve with baked or roast potatoes. For the traditional method: Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/ gas 3. Sit the ham hocks in a large heavy-based pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook gently for 1 hour. Remove the hams and reserve the stock, if you wish to use it instead of the vegetable stock (it can be salty). When the hams are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, then sit the hams in a large flameproof casserole. Add all the other ingredients to the casserole, using either the stock or the cooking liquid, and tuck the hams in neatly. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and put in the oven for 2 hours. Check occasionally that it's not drying out, topping up with a little hot water if necessary. Remove the hams, shred the meat, and stir it into the casserole. Serve with baked or roast potatoes.

SOUL FOOD CABBAGE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the smoked ham hocks into the slow cooker.
• Add in the celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic.
• Pour in the water, then put the lid on the slow cooker.
• Cook on high for 4 hours.
• After the 4 hours, add in the cabbage, then sprinkle in the black pepper ( and any seasonings that you may wish to add).
• Let cook for an additional one hour.
• Serve and enjoy!

SMOTHERED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Combine water, ham hock, and pork shank in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is cooked through, about 2 hours. Drain and set meat aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Remove meat from pork shank, chop into bite-sized pieces, and place in a bowl. Remove skin and meat from ham hock, chop into very small pieces, and add to the bowl, omitting skin if you prefer.
• Heat bacon drippings in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add 1/4 of the cabbage to the hot skillet and saute until slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 of the meat mixture. Add another 1/4 of the cabbage, cooking until slightly wilted, about 3 minutes, followed by another 1/4 of the meat mixture. Repeat until all cabbage and meat have been added. Season with salt and pepper. If mixture sticks to the skillet, add 1 to 2 tablespoons chicken broth.
• Slowly add remaining chicken broth to the cabbage-meat mixture in the skillet, give it a good stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cabbage is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

HAM HOCK & CABBAGE HASH

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in a large pan of salted water until tender, drain, then allow to steam dry for about 3 mins.
• Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan, then throw in the cabbage and onion and fry for 2 mins. Add the stock and cook for 5 mins more until the veg is starting to soften. Stir in the ham and potatoes and push down in the pan to flatten slightly. Cook for 8 mins until the base is golden and crisp.
• Heat the grill. Dot the remaining butter on top of the hash, then flash under the grill until golden and crisp. Serve with baked beans and brown sauce or ketchup, if you like.

CLASSIC CABBAGE WITH HAM AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Cut cabbage head in half and pop out core.
• Clean potatoes, no need to peel, but do use a dish sponge scratchy side to scrub them really well--cut off any bad black spots. Cut in half.
• Place cabbage on bottom, then top with potatoes.
• Toss in one left over ham, bone and all (or just the few pounds of ham you've purchased for this recipe -- I can say that you almost cannot have too much ham! But, it's all got to fit in your pot! LOL!). You do not have to cut it up. I see so many recipes where they are cutting the meat off the bone in neat little cubes and adding them to the pot. That is craziness! Firstly, the bone has a LOT of flavor and secondly, why work when the steam causes it to fall off the bone? I like to just toss in the entire ham, with whatever is leftover from our meal. When the dish is ready it will literally just fall off the bone at the time of serving. That is the beauty of this dish -- easy peasy!
• It's ok to just squeeze in all the ingredients the best you can. You will be cooking at extremely low heat for a very long time, it will all be fine.
• Salt and pepper to taste -- or do like I prefer to do and add nothing until it is plated. The ham is salty so it is very easy to over salt this dish. Be careful.
• A crock pot is perhaps the best way to make this meal the first time around, however I have made it on the stove top with the heat set to the lowest setting for the past 30 years. I like to use the stove because I have a pot far larger than the crock. It's up to you. If using a crock pot, use the medium setting all day long (depending -- if you have a crappy crock, you may need to set it on high -- you know what you have). On stove, cook at lowest possible setting all day. This is the perfect meal to set up before going to work -- when you get home dinner is ready!
• I just want to make a point of saying that NO water is required. You may have a hard time believing this. My mother certainly does and has ruined many pots as she will dump a tall glass (or 2) of water in when I'm not looking. Unfortunately you then wind up with a pot of water with ham, cabbage and potatoes swimming around begging to be rescued--and you lose a ton of flavor. DO NOT ADD WATER. Please trust me. There will be plenty of juice from the cabbage. So much so that you will most likely throw it out (though I like to use it as broth to pour over the dogs' dry food).
• So, quick recap -- just clean everything and squeeze it all into you pot or crock. For stove top, cook at lowest setting all day long, crock -- go for medium.

SMOKED HAM HOCK AND CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Remove skin from smoked ham hocks.
• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute carrots, onions, chopped celery, oregano. thyme, bay leaf, and ham hocks until carrots are tender-about 10 minutes.
• Add the cabbage, garlic, and black pepper, and saute 5 minutes longer or until cabbage is tender.
• Add all the liquid and the whole stalk of celery and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Discard stalk of celery and bay leaf.
• Skim some or all fat.
• Remove meat from cooled ham hocks and add back into the soup.
• Add brown sugar. Salt very carefully. Allow to heat fully and serve.
• If you want it a little sweeter, add a little more brown sugar.