This is comfort food and is full of smoked ham flavor. Slow cook it in a pot of soup, beans, or collard greens for tender, fall of the bone meat. Uncured and with no nitrates added. See below for a favorite recipe:
Ginger Beer Ham Hocks
For the pot:
2 Ham Hocks
2 12oz bottles of your favorite ginger beer
1 bay leaf
1tsp peppercorns
2” piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and mashed or sliced thin
For the glaze:
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp honey
Put the hocks in a saucepan just big enough to hold them with a little room around the sides. Add the ginger beer, bay leaf, peppercorns and ginger root. Add enough cold water to just cover. Bring to the boil, skim away any froth or scum that forms on the surface, then turn down the heat, cover partially and simmer very gently for at least 2½ hours until the meat is very tender and coming away from the bones. Let the hocks cool in the liquid.
Remove ham hocks from liquid and pat dry. Using a paring knife, score the surface in a criss-cross pattern.
Heat the grill to medium. Mix together the mustard, maple syrup, honey and brush all over the hocks. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning so they brown evenly, and brushing on leftover glaze as you turn them. Once golden and bubbling, remove from the grill, let rest for at least 5 minutes, then serve.