Leave the store-bought ones in the store and learn how to smoke neck bones and ham hocks yourself! These DIY smoked neck bones and smoked ham hocks are easy to make and they will add and incredible amount of flavor to your soups, stews and chilis!
What are Smoked Neck Bones?
At the heart of Southern home cooking, smoked neck bones and ham hocks are commonly enjoyed with things like beans, potatoes, rice, cabbage as well as in soups and stews where they’re slow-cooked until their smoky, fork-tender meat falls right off. You have probably bought smoked neck bones or smoked ham hocks before at the store to add flavor to your dishes, especially your soups and stews. For example, split pea soup. Can you imagine making it without a smoked ham hock? No way!
But have you ever had homemade smoked neck bones or ham hocks? Let’s just say you can figure on multiplying the flavor factor by about a hundred and that’ll land you somewhere in the ballpark. I made my homemade chili a couple of weeks ago and it’s always a hit. But this time I thought I’d thrown in a smoked neck bone and wow, it took that chili to a new level!
In the pictures below I’m using pork neck bones to demonstrate the process, but the method for making homemade smoked ham hocks is identical. Making these is simple and straightforward, it just involves a bit of a wait for the neck bones or ham hocks to marinate in the brine. Once the waiting game is up it’s time to smoke them, and that part is relatively quick.
How to Use Smoked Neck Bones
Anything that stands to benefit from some savory, umami-rich and smoky flavor will welcome the addition of a smoked neck bone. Here are just a few dishes you can add them to during the cooking process for a major flavor boost:
Instant Pot Chili White Bean Chili Ham and Bean Soup Bean Goulash Black Eyed Pea Soup Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage and Kale Albondigas Soup Split Pea and Ham Soup
DIY Smoked Neck Bones and Smoked Ham Hocks
Let’s get started! The method for making smoked neck bones and smoked ham hocks is identical. I’m using neck bones in the pictures for point of reference. You can get raw ham hocks and neck bones and ham hocks at your local butcher, just ask them to set some aside for you. There are also stores in the U.S. like Cash and Carry that come frozen and for a good price. Prepare the brine: Add all the brine ingredients to a large bowl and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Cure the Neck Bones: Divide the neck bones or ham hocks between two gallon ziplock bags and pour in the brine. You can also place the neck bones/ham hocks in a stainless steel or food-grade plastic bucket with a lid to brine in there. Make sure the meat is submerged in the brine. Place the ziplock bags in some kind of a dish to catch any leakage. I’m using baking dishes. Refrigerate for 7 days, turning the bags over to ensure even distribution of the brine. After 7 days of brining, rinse the neck bones or ham hocks and place them on a wire rack, set it on a cookie sheet, and refrigerate uncovered for another 24 hours. This will enable to smoke to better adhere to the meat. Smoke the Neck Bones: Don’t have a smoker? See the recipe card below for instructions for oven smoking. I’m using my Masterbuilt 30″ Digital Electric Smoker. I LOVE this smoker. It’s very easy to use and has been going strong for over 8 years. When you’re ready to smoke them, set your smoker to 200 degrees F. Place the neck bones or ham hocks on the smoking grates, making sure they’re not touching each other. Add a couple of handfuls of wood chips to the smoker throughout the smoking process. Hickory wood chips and apple wood chips are both great choices for pork. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. You’ll need an instant read thermometer. Once done, wrap the smoked neck bones or ham hocks and freeze them for long-term storage or refrigerate them if you’re going to use them within a week.
For more delicious adventures in homemade charcuterie be sure to try my:
How to Smoke a Ham How to Make Bacon Capicola Porchetta German Bratwurst Bangers Pork Rillettes Italian Sausage Smoked Cheddar Sausages Breakfast Sausage Links
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet June 7, 2017 Read more about me…
