A flavoursome and hearty soup cooked in the slow cooker. This tasty and healthy soup is made with a bacon hock, carrot, celery, onion, and pearl barley. It will keep you going all day. An excellent option for a weekend lunch.
I have fond memories of my Grandma Bonnie making this soup growing up. We kids would often be huddled inside on rainy days, but the smell of the bacon hock cooking would wake us up and make us hungry for lunch.
This Bacon Hock and Barley Soup couldnt be easier. Just put the ingredients in the bottom of a slow cooker and turn it on low. After a while, shred the pork and add it back in. If this sounds good to you, you might also like my Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Soup, which is made the same way. [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Bacon hocks, also known as pork knuckles are an underappreciated and delicious cut of meat that when cooked properly, can be fall-off-the-bone tender with incredible flavor. This meaty, fatty cut comes from the lower portion of a pig’s leg bone. While not the most glamorous or popular cut, cooking up bacon hocks results in rich broth perfect for soups, stews, beans, greens, and more. With a little time and some simple techniques, you can transform inexpensive bacon hocks into incredibly tasty, versatile additions to many dishes.
In this complete guide you’ll learn everything you need to know about choosing preparing, and cooking bacon hocks to coax the most flavor and tenderness out of this cut. Let’s start from the beginning – selecting the right hocks at the store.
Choosing the Best Bacon Hocks
When buying bacon hocks, you’ll typically find two options
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Fresh hocks—These hocks are still raw and will need a long time to cook down. Choose hocks that are pink/red with white fat marbling and no bad odors. Avoid any with dry, brown spots.
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Pre-cooked (smoked) hocks – Conveniently ready to use, but won’t have as much rich pork flavor. Look for meaty hocks with ample fat.
For the tastiest hocks cooked from scratch, seek out fresh. Try your local butcher or farmer’s market for better quality than typical grocery stores.
When it comes to size, hocks generally range from 1/2 pound to 1 pound each. Go with what fits your recipe needs or preferences. For stews or broth, smaller 1/2 pound hocks work well. Larger hocks around 1 pound make an excellent standalone dinner.
Preparing Bacon Hocks for Cooking
Before cooking up your hocks, it helps to prep them a bit:
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Rinse under cold water – Give them a quick rinse to remove any blood or bone fragments. Pat dry with paper towels.
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Score the skin – Use a sharp knife to cut shallow slits across the skin and fat cap. This allows the seasonings and cooking liquid to better penetrate.
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Season generously – Coat all sides with seasoning like salt, pepper and any other spices you enjoy. Rub it in well so it adheres.
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Chill—If you want the hocks to taste even better, you can put them in the fridge overnight to chill. The salt will penetrate deeper.
With prep done, it’s time to start cooking. Bacon hocks need moist slow cooking to reach tender, succulent perfection.
Cooking Methods for Bacon Hocks
There are several excellent options for cooking bacon hocks to melting tenderness:
Braising
Braising is ideal for cooking hocks. The long, slow moist heat effectively breaks down the collagen and connective tissue.
To braise hocks:
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Brown the hocks first for flavor – Sear all sides in a skillet with oil until browned.
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Add braising liquid like broth, wine, tomatoes, etc. Bring to a boil.
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Simmer gently on stove or in oven for 1.5-3 hours until meat is fork-tender.
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Finish by reducing or thickening liquid for rich sauce.
Stewing
Adding bacon hocks to stews, chili, beans, etc imparts delicious smoky, porky flavor.
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Follow a regular stew recipe but add prepared hocks during the simmering stage.
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Allow to gently simmer for 1-2 hours until hocks are tender.
Slow Roasting
For a simple roasted hock dinner:
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Prep and season hocks. Place in roasting pan.
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Roast at 325°F for about 1 hour per pound. Turn halfway through.
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Baste and cover pan for moisture. Roast until fall-apart tender.
Pressure Cooking
A pressure cooker cuts cook time significantly:
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Add prepared hocks and liquid to pressure cooker pot.
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Cook at high pressure for 25-40 minutes depending on size.
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Quick release pressure; meat should easily fall off the bones.
Slow Cooking
Using a slow cooker or Instant Pot is an easy hands-off method.
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Add seasoned hocks and cooking liquid to slow cooker.
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Cook on low for 7-8 hours. The extended time tenderizes the meat completely.
No matter which technique you use, low and slow is key to melting away the collagen for deliciously tender, succulent meat that just falls off the bone. Now let’s get into how to turn basic cooked hocks into amazing finished dishes.
Serving Ideas for Cooked Bacon Hocks
Plain boiled hocks make a great start, but incorporating them into recipes is when the real magic happens. Here are some stellar ways to put cooked bacon hocks to delicious use:
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Hock and Bean Stew – Flavorful ham and beans classic. Cook pinto or great northern beans with hocks.
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Southern-Style Collard Greens – Braise hocks and use flavorful pot likker to cook greens.
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Split Pea or Lentil Soup – Simmer hocks to make an incredible, hearty soup base.
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Smoky Baked Beans – Dice cooked hocks and add to baked beans for extra flavor.
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Hock and Cabbage Dinner – Low and slow braise cabbage wedges and hocks together.
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Pork and Hock Jambalaya – Incorporate diced hocks into a jambalaya or paella rice dish.
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Hock Broth for Cooking – Simmer hocks in water for rich, porky stock for cooking.
The possibilities are endless! Use pulled, shredded or chopped cooked hock meat to amplify soups, stews, greens, beans, grains and more.
Troubleshooting Bacon Hocks
Follow these tips if your bacon hocks didn’t turn out quite right:
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Tough, chewy meat – Didn’t cook long enough at gentle simmer. Cook longer next time.
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Dry, lacking flavor – Didn’t braise or stew, boiling instead. Moist cooking methods are a must.
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Bone falls out, meat shredded – Cooked too long. Watch the time and test doneness with a fork.
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Skin is tough – Remove skin after cooking if undesirable texture.
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Greasy finished dish – Skim fat from cooking liquid before using.
Step by step instructions:
Place all of the ingredients in the base of a large slow cooker.
Cook on high for 6+ hours until the ham is cooked through and falling off the bone.
Remove the hock from the slow cooker and place on a chopping board. Shred the meat, discarding any skin and bones.
Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Remove the bay leaves.
Season to taste then serve in bowls with fresh, chopped parsley on top.
Split peas, packet soup mix or dried lentils would all work in place of barley.
Yes! Allow the soup to cool to room temperature then place in airtight containers or jars with lids. Label with the date and freeze for up to three months.
No, barley is a grain that contains gluten. To make this gluten free, swap the barley for split peas or dried lentils.
Put any extra bacon hock and barley soup in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot.
This soup can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up three months. Defrost completely before reheating until piping hot.
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Slow Cooker Bacon Hock and Barley SoupYield:
Hearty and wholesome bacon hock and barley soup packed with veggies .
- 800g bacon hock
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1⁄2 cup barley
- 2 litres water
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- Chopped parsley
- Put everything into the bottom of a big slow cooker.
- For 6 hours on high, until the ham is fully cooked and falls off the bone.
- Take the hock out of the slow cooker and set it down on a cutting board. Shred the meat, discarding any skin and bones.
- Put the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and mix it all together. Remove the bay leaves.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and then serve in bowls with chopped fresh parsley on top.
- You can use barley instead of split peas, packet soup mix, or dried lentils.
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
A butcher taught me! Discover how to cook the ham hock correctly
How do you cook hocks the next day?
The next day, place in a saucepan of water, bring up to the boil, then drain and rinse. Return hock to the saucepan and cover with water. Add chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add a bay leaf and 2-3 sprigs thyme and cook very gently for about 3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Keep cooking liquor to make soup.
How do you cook bacon hocks in a crock pot?
Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot, along with a bay leaf and 2-3 sprigs of thyme. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for about 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Once cooked, remove the bacon hock from the pot and let it cool slightly.
How do you cook bacon hocks?
To start, place the bacon hock in a large bowl or pot and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for at least 8-12 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator. This will help to draw out some of the excess salt and smokiness from the hock. After soaking, remove the hock from the water and rinse it thoroughly under running water.
Can you cook bacon hocks in cold water?
Bacon hocks are not especially meaty, but they can be shredded or diced up and added back to the dish for added flavor and texture. To reduce the saltiness of a bacon hock before cooking, it’s recommended to soak it in cold water overnight. To start, place the bacon hock in a large bowl or pot and cover it with cold water.