Sometimes called pork knuckles, hocks are cut from the lower part of the pig’s leg and include skin, bone, fat, collagen, and a small amount of meat. They are best cooked with a “low and slow” method such as stewing, braising, or barbecuing. Smoked hocks add a wonderful rich, smoky pork flavor to any dish and are a key ingredient in southern cuisine, as well as central and eastern European, and Chinese cooking.
Our pigs are raised on pasture all summer, without hormones or antibiotics. We buy in a small herd of piglets each May that is made up of a mix of heritage breeds, including Tamworth and Old Spot. We feed our pigs non-GMO grain, but being raised outside means they also forage for tubers, roots, berries, grubs, and more. From May to November, we rotate the pigs into new paddocks, allowing them to explore and express their natural rooting behaviors, while also fertilizing those areas with manure.