Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [37]
Many countries have their own famous hams. The English have York, the Chinese Yunnan, the Germans Westphalian, and the French Bayonne. In the United States, Virginia is renowned for its hams, especially Smithfield ham. These hams come from pigs fed on a diet of peanuts. The hams are then cured over hickory and apple wood and aged for at least a year.
Some hams must be cooked before serving. Partially cooked and fully cooked hams need different handling—read the label carefully or check with your supplier. Very salty hams should be soaked before cooking.
Many hams need no further preparation and are eaten thinly sliced, accompanied by fresh fruit, like melon and figs, which complements their saltiness.
Pork Hock Cooked with Spiced Honey
I shared this dish with my husband in a small Paris restaurant located in the fifteenth arrondissement. Admittedly, I was unenthusiastic at first. There were other dishes on the menu I would rather have eaten, but the pork hock and red cabbage was for two and my husband was keen to try it. So I conceded. When it arrived at the table complete with a large sprig of burning rosemary jutting out of it, I was convinced it was a bad choice. I was wrong. Both the succulent meat of the hock and the glaze were infused with star anise, coriander, and cinnamon. 1 ate with gusto and the flaming rosemary branch was quickly forgotten.
This recipe has several stages, so you do need to start a day or two in advance.
I fresh pork hock, skin on, about 2¼ pounds (1 kg)
Spiced Salt (page 84)
Court Bouillon (page 60)
5 star anise, broken into pieces
7 green cardamom pods
4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 long cinnamon stick, broken in half
½ cup (125 ml) acacia honey
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1. A day or two before you cook the hock, coat it in the spiced salt. Cover and refrigerate, turning it 2 or 3 times.
2. Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Place the hock in a large pan and add the court bouillon, 3 of the star anise, 4 of the cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon of the coriander seeds, and half of the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
3. Cover the hock with a damp piece of parchment paper and then the lid. Braise in the oven for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the hock, drain it well, place on a plate. Keep the cooking liquid. (This can be done up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate the hock and liquid separately.)
4. Toast the remaining 2 star anise, 3 cardamom pods, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, and the cinnamon stick half in a heavy frying pan until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Crush them slightly using a mortar and pestle, then put them in a small saucepan, add the honey, and bring to a boil. Boil hard for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the froth turns dark and the honey begins to caramelize. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in 1 cup (250 ml) of the reserved cooking liquid. The honey will spit and sputter. Stir to mix, then reheat gently, stirring to dissolve the honey, and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve; discard the spices. (The glaze can be made 2 days ahead.)
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the hock in a small roasting pan and add A cup (125 ml) of the cooking liquid. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), pour half the strained honey mixture over the hock, and cook for 15 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times. Pour the remaining honey mixture over the hock and cook for another 15 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. Watch the glaze carefully, and add a little more cooking liquid to the roasting pan if it begins to burn.
7. Transfer the glazed hock to a serving dish and keep warm, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Add Vi cup (125 ml) more cooking liquid to the roasting pan (discard any remaining liquid) and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Boil until reduced to ½ cup (125 ml), then add the vinegar.
8. Serve the hock with the sauce. The addition