Smoked Ham Hocks

For the hocks you will need some hocks, and 3 parts salt and one part sugar. Do your self a favor, buy a scale, best of all, get one that does metric- Use sea salt or kosher salt, do not use table salt. Use your favorite sugar; brown can't do wrong, white will do rite, maple is able, in the raw is ahh have fun with it. Toss in some garlic and herbs, what ever you like. If you want to use a pinch of curing salt, AKA, sodium nitrates, go ahead, I do it, but you don't want to don't, it is a salt that keeps your final product from turning grey.

Once you have picked out you cure, pack your hocks in it for four days. After the four days wash your hocks under cold running water and allow to dry in the fridge for 3 days. When hocks have dried, smoke for about four hours at 145 degrees. Think about your wood, make it oakey like Charany, use maple if you like it sweet. Hickory for that bbq flavor.

If you want to dive deeper into it, join Farmer Pete for pig class. Session one is March 14th, and session two is March 21. In the two weeks we will cover raising Tamworth Pigs, and making bacon and sausage