I usually make bacon hock soup in a crockpot, but my brother has asked me to show him how to make it when I visit. His crockpot is only a small one so we will be making in in a 5 litre pot. It's years since I have done this and I have forgotten how long to cook the hock for.

Can anyone help please?

calista - 2019-06-04 16:51:00

I turn mine on in crockpot an hour before I go to bed, on high, then turn to low and leave it overnight.

In a stockpot, would need to simmer (not boil) for several hours - slow is best, to extract all the flavour.

Edited by autumnwinds at 4:55 pm, Tue 4 Jun

autumnwinds - 2019-06-04 16:53:00

Get the hacksaw out and saw the hock in half so it fits in the pot and clean out the fridge and other suitable items in the freezer, just simmer away overnight

toyboy3 - 2019-06-04 16:57:00

Ages. I cook it around 3 hrs, then remove it, cool it, pick the meat off and discard the goopy stuff and chuck it back in.

lythande1 - 2019-06-04 17:14:00

Thanks everyone -3 hours plus sounds vaguely familiar.
I don't know how I would manage without a crockpot., especially for soup in the winter.

calista - 2019-06-04 17:28:00

calista, here's a recipe from the former Trade Me Cooks that you and y9our brother might like to try.....

"Bacon, Barley and Leek Soup
Soak 1 c barley overnight. Wash two bacon hocks and cover with water in a large pan. Simmer for about an hour. Remove the hocks and when cool enough to handle take off the meat and skin. Return the bones to the pan, slice the skin in thin strips and return to pan, add barley, simmer for another hour. Wash a large leek and two carrots and slice thinly. Remove bones from pan, add leek and carrots and simmer about 30 min until everything is tender. Check salt, add lots of freshly ground pepper, chopped parsley or marjoram. You can also add thinly sliced mushrooms or other veges. posted by davidt4" :-))

245sam - 2019-06-04 17:44:00

Can someone tell me why the soup sets and goes jelly like when in the fridge? Im assuming something in the bones causes this but dont know for sure. TIA

dibble35 - 2019-06-04 18:24:00

dibble35 wrote:

Can someone tell me why the soup sets and goes jelly like when in the fridge? Im assuming something in the bones causes this but dont know for sure. TIA

I'm pretty sure that it's the gelatinous content of the bones that makes it solidify & I was always told that it's a sign of really good stock.

samanya - 2019-06-04 18:35:00

samanya wrote:

I'm pretty sure that it's the gelatinous content of the bones that makes it solidify & I was always told that it's a sign of really good stock.

exactly - and the addition of a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar helps draw all the "goodies" out of the bones. The better the "set" of the stock, the better it is for you.

I emptied all the bags of raw chicken bones, cooked chicken bones, KFC bones I'd frozen into a large crockpot tonight, with cider vinegar, herbs, celery, carrots, onions, with a little salt and a lot of peppercorns... it'll simmer until I turn it down to warm when I go to bed, and tomorrow morning I'll drain off the stock, add more finely chopped onion, carrot and celery, more herbs and add a whole chicken to the strained stock for the best and easiest chicken soup, full of all the things that are good for one - real old fashioned comfort food.

Edited by autumnwinds at 6:58 pm, Tue 4 Jun

autumnwinds - 2019-06-04 18:57:00

Thanks, thats very interesting.

dibble35 - 2019-06-04 19:12:00

I recommend making Chelsea Winter's Pea & Ham Soup, its so delicious and nutritious.

Edited by catdog68 at 8:43 pm, Tue 4 Jun

catdog68 - 2019-06-04 20:43:00

245sam wrote:

calista, here's a recipe from the former Trade Me Cooks that you and y9our brother might like to try.....

apologies about the typo - that should of course read...."calista, here's a recipe from the former Trade Me Cooks that you and your (No 9!!!) brother might like to try....." Long fingernails!!! :-))

245sam - 2019-06-04 20:58:00

Thanks Sam - and David . That soup sounds yummy, as does Autumn Winds Chicken based one. (I missed the typo he's only number 3 and the youngest).

I made chicken stock using cages today and am making Chicken barley broth tomorrow. I will probably also throw in a chicken breast so it's more like stew than soup.

I have some small jobs to be done that involve climbing a ladder, so will swap some soup with a friend whose balance is better than mine Calista's soup economy rides again. ????

Edited by calista at 9:00 pm, Tue 4 Jun

calista - 2019-06-04 20:58:00

Do you have a pressure cooker? Anything that needs a long cook seems to work well.

socram - 2019-06-05 21:15:00

Do you eat the meat off the bone? I guess this could be classed as a silly question?

suziebee - 2019-06-12 15:08:00

suziebee wrote:

Do you eat the meat off the bone? I guess this could be classed as a silly question?

The meat of bacon and ham hocks, used in soup, minus any fatty or skin bits and bones, can be chopped up and added to the soup, or to omelettes, quiches, or any recipe requiring bacon bits.

And please don't be afraid to ask questions - there's no such thing as a silly question, apart from the unasked ones, for how will you learn if you don't ask? Most of us don't bite, and will happily answer....

autumnwinds - 2019-06-12 16:36:00

Thank you

suziebee - 2019-06-12 17:09:00

The skin of a pork hock is also delicious when it has been cooked long enough to soften the collagen. It becomes luscious and tasty. I cut the skin into 1 cm pieces and return it to the soup along with the flesh.

davidt4 - 2019-06-12 17:18:00

davidt4 wrote:

The skin of a pork hock is also delicious when it has been cooked long enough to soften the collagen. It becomes luscious and tasty. I cut the skin into 1 cm pieces and return it to the soup along with the flesh.

Oh I'm so pleased that you said that.
I just love the gelatinous, yummy pork skin (your word 'luscious' is perfect)

samanya - 2019-06-12 19:02:00