German Ham Hock (Eisbein) Recipe

Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
1 hr
Yield
Serves 4
In this Recipe

As a butcher shop, we stock lots of “unusual” or hard to find cuts of meat that you may not find at a normal grocery store. One of those cuts is a smoked ham hock. Ham hocks are the meat that comes from the lower part of a pig’s rear leg – just below the meat of your traditional ham. This meat is richly flavored, but has lots of collagen and needs to be cooked low and slow to tenderize the meat before eating. Maybe you’ve used smoked ham hocks in a soup recipe to provide meat for the soup and more flavor for the broth, but hocks can also be used as an entree on their own.

This recipe is a traditional German recipe and is super easy to make. In fact, since we smoke the ham hocks for you, you’re just reheating the meat, you’re not even cooking it! By simmering the hock in the spiced water, you add even more flavor to the pork and make sure the tough parts of the meat are broken down. This recipe is perfect to serve family style on a platter with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. Everyone can take some of the meat off the bone and load up their plate with sides. It’s a nourishing and easy to make meal that won’t break the bank.

Do you enjoy eating smoked ham hocks? Let us know your thoughts on this recipe, and any other ways you enjoy eating hocks in the comments below!

Ingredients

  • 1 LGCM Smoked Hocks (about 3 lbs)
  • 1 Tbsp Allspice Berries
  • 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Bay Leaf
  • 2 tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • Water

Directions

  1. Place the smoked ham hock and all the seasonings in a medium size pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer until the hock is tender and warmed throughout, about 1 hour.

  2. Remove the ham hock from the water, pat dry, and serve warm with boiled potatoes, sauerkraut and German mustard. Enjoy!

Print Recipe
Email Recipe
Post to Facebook
Pin Recipe

Recommended Pairings

Other recipes you may like

Eat Fresh. Eat Right.

Fresh food daily, recipes, wine tips and more. Subscribe to our newsletter!

Rate & Review: German Ham Hock (Eisbein)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


9 Reviews for German Ham Hock (Eisbein)

    5, 5

    Yum. Very good. Super easy. I was given some smoked ham hocks and I tried this.

      Glad you enjoyed it, Pamela! Thanks for sharing.

    5, 5

    This recipe sounded so yummy. But having lived in France, not far from Alsace, for 40+ years, I had to add 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery and 2 smallish onions. Covered with water, splash of dry white wine and it is currently roasting away in the oven. Watch this space!

    I’m not sure where I went wrong. I boiled my smoked hock for 70 minutes with its thick skin. But it really was tough. Such a disappointment. I wondered if boiling it with its thick skin was incorrect. Please, advise as I have another smoked hock I would like to cook. Thank you.

      Hi Valerie, thanks for sharing. There shouldn’t be skin on your hock before boiling. If there is, please remove before boiling. Thanks!

    5, 5

    Delicious, grew up in. Ukrainian community

      Thank you, Nadja, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

    Fantastic

      Thank you!