This Instant Pot Pork Hock is the recipe for you. It has a wonderful taste and you can make it easily using cheap and simple ingredients.
Pork hocks are an underrated cut of meat that when cooked properly become fall-off-the-bone tender with rich, robust flavor. An instant pot is the perfect way to transform these inexpensive pieces of pork into a delicious meal.
Cooking pork hocks in an instant pot yields incredibly moist, fork-tender meat infused with spices, aromatics, and cooking liquid The pressurized environment helps break down collagen and connective tissue Best of all, the hands-off convenience of the instant pot means your hocks cook while you relax!
Follow this simple step-by-step guide to cooking mouthwatering instant pot pork hocks right in your own kitchen.
Choosing the Right Pork Hocks
-
Select meaty hocks around 1-2 pounds each. Look for hocks with a good amount of meat, not just bones.
-
Choose fresh hocks whenever possible for the best flavor and texture. Frozen hocks work too but may need extra cooking time.
-
Pork hocks labeled “picnic” come from the upper part of the leg and tend to be leaner. “Ham” hocks come from the lower leg and contain more fat and collagen. Both work great!
Prep the Pork Hocks
-
Rinse hocks under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
-
If desired, season generously all over with salt and pepper or other spices like garlic powder, paprika, etc.
-
For more flavor, brown the seasoned hocks in batches in a skillet with oil until nicely browned on both sides.
-
Add 1-2 cups of water to the inner pot of the instant pot and place a trivet inside. Stack hocks on the trivet.
Building Bold Flavor
Pork hocks benefit from aromatic ingredients and flavorful braising liquid:
-
Sauté aromatics like onions, garlic, ginger, etc. until softened before adding to the pot.
-
Use broth, wine, beer, apple cider, etc. for the cooking liquid. Chicken, beef, and vegetable broth all work very well.
-
Add herbs like bay leaves, oregano, thyme, or spices such as cumin, coriander, paprika.
Cook Time for Instant Pot Pork Hocks
-
For 1-2 hocks, high pressure cook for 60 minutes then allow natural pressure release for 15 minutes before quick releasing.
-
For more than 2 hocks, increase cook time by 15 minutes per additional hock.
-
Frozen hocks may need an extra 15-30 minutes. Check for doneness before serving.
-
The hocks are done when very fork tender and the meat is pulling away from the bones.
Letting the Flavor Develop
-
Once cooked, remove the hocks but reserve the cooking liquid.
-
Let the hocks rest for 10-15 minutes before pulling the meat from the bones.
-
Meanwhile, skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid.
-
Return the shredded meat to the pot and let simmer in the liquid for 15+ minutes to soak up flavor.
-
Thicken the braising liquid if desired with cornstarch slurry or reduce until proper consistency. Season to taste.
Serving Your Finished Pork Hocks
-
Serve the succulent pulled pork with the reduced braising liquid spooned over the top.
-
Pair with potato dishes, egg noodles, rice, or crusty bread to enjoy the savory cooking juices.
-
Garnish with chopped parsley, scallions, or even diced red onion for a pop of color and freshness.
With this simple guide, you can easily make the most insanely delicious, fall-off-the-bone pork hocks in your instant pot. Adjust spices, aromatics, and cooking times to suit your preferences. Soon you’ll be serving up these impressive yet inexpensive instant pot pork hocks for any occasion!
Frequency of entities:
pork hocks: 22
instant pot: 16
Recipe Ingredients
Pork- Pig feet pork is used in this recipe. Take 2 lb of pig feet pork and cut it into 6 pieces of each. Wash the pork properly before adding.
Ginger- Use at least 1-inch ginger, thinly slice the ginger.
Soy Sauce- We are using here both, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for better taste. You can also use just the dark one or any other dark soy sauce you have on hand.
Other Ingredients-
This tastes great because it has ginger powder, dried chili peppers, green onions, Japanese sake, star anise, sugar, and salt.
Follow the ingredients on the recipe card for the best taste, but feel free to add or take away as needed.
How to serve?
Some ideas for side dishes:
If you have leftover broth, you can also serve it as a curry alongside fresh bread.
Instant Pot Ham Hocks, Beans and Greens
FAQ
Are smoked pork hocks already cooked?
Is there a difference between ham hocks and pork hocks?
How long does it take for ham hocks to get tender?
What do you do with pork hocks?
How to cook pork hocks in Instant Pot?
Keep the soaking liquid Press saute on Instant Pot. When it says “hot”, add the cooking oil. Add the onion paste and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the fermented bean sauce and the dried chilis. Saute for another 30 seconds. Add the pork hocks, peanuts, shiitake mushrooms, along with the seasoning, cinnamon stick, and star anises.
How to cook pork feet in Instant Pot?
Place pork feet and ginger inside the Instant Pot. Add water to cover the pork feet. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Wait for a natural release and remove the lid. Wash pork feet and discard the water. Add pork feet to the Instant Pot and add water till feet are covered. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
How do you cook pork hocks in a crock pot?
Preheat a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat with oil. Add the onion paste and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the fermented bean sauce and the dried chilis. Saute for another 30 seconds. Add the pork hocks, peanuts, shiitake mushrooms, along with the seasoning, cinnamon stick, and star anises.
Can You Pressure Cook hocks in the Instant Pot?
What I seem hooked on doing with any sort of tough cut of meat these days: pressure cook them in the Instant Pot. I took an additional step with these large hocks by first roasting them in the oven for half and hour to brown them, thinking that might add some depth of flavor.