Baked and stuffed ham hock
The first time I had baked and stuffed ham hock was at a restaurant in Miercurea Ciuc, where it was the house specialty. I liked it so much that as soon as I got home, I tried to make it myself. Since then, I make it a few times a year, especially when I crave something hearty. During baking, it fills the whole house with a delicious aroma, but it doesn’t require any special techniques.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes (including preparation and baking)
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 2 hours
Servings: 6-8 (depending on the size of the ham hock)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: main dish, for lunch or dinner, suitable for guests or when you want a substantial meal
Ingredients
1 large smoked pork hock (about 2 kg)
1 smoked country sausage (for stuffing, cut into slices or smaller pieces)
8 cloves of garlic (cut lengthwise into 2-3 pieces each)
pepper (to taste)
dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons of oil for greasing the dish
1 tablespoon of oil for greasing the ham hock
100 ml white wine
Preparation Method
1. Start with a Roman pot (clay pot). Soak it in cold water for about 2 hours before using it. This helps prevent it from cracking in the oven.
2. Wash the ham hock and dry it well with a clean towel. Grease it on all sides with a tablespoon of oil.
3. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make holes in the ham hock here and there, deep enough to insert pieces of garlic and sausage. In each hole, alternately place pieces of garlic and sausage slices.
4. Generously sprinkle the ham hock with pepper and thyme on all sides. No extra salt is needed if the ham hock and sausage are already salty, but you can taste it at the end if you wish.
5. Remove the Roman pot from the water and grease the bottom of the pot with two tablespoons of oil.
6. Place the stuffed ham hock in the pot. Add the bay leaves to the pot. Pour the white wine next to the ham hock, not over it.
7. Cover the pot. If the pot has a lid and the ham hock fits under it, put the lid on. If not, use aluminum foil to cover it.
8. Place the pot in the cold oven and turn the heat on low. It takes about 2 hours for me, depending on the oven and the size of the ham hock. When the meat starts to pull away from the bone at the edges and is nicely browned, it’s done.
9. Remove from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes, then you can slice or tear it into pieces as preferred.
10. I usually serve it with baked potatoes (accordion style), garlic sauce with yogurt, and pickled cucumbers.
Why I make the recipe often
I like it because it’s not complicated and the result is suitable for meals with multiple people. It remains tender and tasty the next day, and the ingredients are accessible. It can also be reheated without losing its texture too much.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Hydrate the Roman pot well, especially if you use it rarely. The meat won’t stick or burn.
The holes for stuffing can be closer together to get the flavor of sausage and garlic in every slice.
If the ham hock is very salty, don’t add any salt at all.
For a more pronounced browning, you can uncover the pot for the last 15 minutes.
Substitutions
If you don’t have a Roman pot, you can use any oven-safe dish with a lid, but with the clay pot, the final texture is different.
Instead of country sausage, any firm smoked sausage works.
If you don’t have white wine, you can use a little water, but the wine helps with flavor and tenderness.
Variations
Sometimes I change the spice mix and add hot or sweet paprika, but the basic recipe is the simplest.
You can add large pieces of onion to the pot for more sauce.
At the end, you can remove the lid and let the ham hock brown directly in the oven for a crispier crust.
Serving Ideas
It goes best with baked or mashed potatoes, garlic sauce, and pickles.
It also pairs well with cabbage salad or roasted vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use fresh ham hock instead of smoked?
Yes, but the taste and final texture will not be the same. Smoked ham hock brings the specific flavor of this recipe.
2. What do I do if I don’t have a Roman pot?
You can use any oven-safe dish with a lid (cast iron, oven-safe glass, or ceramic). The Roman pot helps with tenderness and retains moisture better, but other dishes work too.
3. How much wine can I add if I want more sauce?
You can increase the wine to 150 ml, but don’t overdo it, as the meat may become too soft and risk not browning.
4. How well does it keep, and can I reheat it?
It keeps very well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, covered. When reheating, you can put it in the oven or microwave, but it remains juicier in the oven.
5. Does the sausage inside need to be cooked beforehand?
No, it’s added raw. It will cook sufficiently in the oven during the baking with the ham hock.
Nutritional Values
Estimation for 1 serving (out of 8): approximately 400-500 kcal, with 25-30 g of protein, 30-35 g of fat, under 3 g of carbohydrates (without side dishes). Values may vary depending on how fatty the ham hock and sausage used are. The ham hock is rich in fat but also has a lot of protein.
Storage and Reheating
The baked ham hock keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 2-3 days. It can be reheated in the oven at 180°C in a covered dish or in the microwave. The texture remains good. I do not recommend freezing; after thawing, it changes texture. If there is a lot of solidified fat, you can remove it when reheating.
The first time I had baked and stuffed ham hock was at a restaurant in Miercurea Ciuc, where it was the house specialty. I liked it so much that as soon as I got home, I tried to make it myself. Since then, I make it a few times a year, especially when I crave something hearty. During baking, it fills the whole house with a delicious aroma, but it doesn’t require any special techniques.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes (including preparation and baking)
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 2 hours
Servings: 6-8 (depending on the size of the ham hock)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: main dish, for lunch or dinner, suitable for guests or when you want a substantial meal
Ingredients
1 large smoked pork hock (about 2 kg)
1 smoked country sausage (for stuffing, cut into slices or smaller pieces)
8 cloves of garlic (cut lengthwise into 2-3 pieces each)
pepper (to taste)
dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons of oil for greasing the dish
1 tablespoon of oil for greasing the ham hock
100 ml white wine
Preparation Method
1. Start with a Roman pot (clay pot). Soak it in cold water for about 2 hours before using it. This helps prevent it from cracking in the oven.
2. Wash the ham hock and dry it well with a clean towel. Grease it on all sides with a tablespoon of oil.
3. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make holes in the ham hock here and there, deep enough to insert pieces of garlic and sausage. In each hole, alternately place pieces of garlic and sausage slices.
4. Generously sprinkle the ham hock with pepper and thyme on all sides. No extra salt is needed if the ham hock and sausage are already salty, but you can taste it at the end if you wish.
5. Remove the Roman pot from the water and grease the bottom of the pot with two tablespoons of oil.
6. Place the stuffed ham hock in the pot. Add the bay leaves to the pot. Pour the white wine next to the ham hock, not over it.
7. Cover the pot. If the pot has a lid and the ham hock fits under it, put the lid on. If not, use aluminum foil to cover it.
8. Place the pot in the cold oven and turn the heat on low. It takes about 2 hours for me, depending on the oven and the size of the ham hock. When the meat starts to pull away from the bone at the edges and is nicely browned, it’s done.
9. Remove from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes, then you can slice or tear it into pieces as preferred.
10. I usually serve it with baked potatoes (accordion style), garlic sauce with yogurt, and pickled cucumbers.
Why I make the recipe often
I like it because it’s not complicated and the result is suitable for meals with multiple people. It remains tender and tasty the next day, and the ingredients are accessible. It can also be reheated without losing its texture too much.
Tips and Variations
Tips
Hydrate the Roman pot well, especially if you use it rarely. The meat won’t stick or burn.
The holes for stuffing can be closer together to get the flavor of sausage and garlic in every slice.
If the ham hock is very salty, don’t add any salt at all.
For a more pronounced browning, you can uncover the pot for the last 15 minutes.
Substitutions
If you don’t have a Roman pot, you can use any oven-safe dish with a lid, but with the clay pot, the final texture is different.
Instead of country sausage, any firm smoked sausage works.
If you don’t have white wine, you can use a little water, but the wine helps with flavor and tenderness.
Variations
Sometimes I change the spice mix and add hot or sweet paprika, but the basic recipe is the simplest.
You can add large pieces of onion to the pot for more sauce.
At the end, you can remove the lid and let the ham hock brown directly in the oven for a crispier crust.
Serving Ideas
It goes best with baked or mashed potatoes, garlic sauce, and pickles.
It also pairs well with cabbage salad or roasted vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use fresh ham hock instead of smoked?
Yes, but the taste and final texture will not be the same. Smoked ham hock brings the specific flavor of this recipe.
2. What do I do if I don’t have a Roman pot?
You can use any oven-safe dish with a lid (cast iron, oven-safe glass, or ceramic). The Roman pot helps with tenderness and retains moisture better, but other dishes work too.
3. How much wine can I add if I want more sauce?
You can increase the wine to 150 ml, but don’t overdo it, as the meat may become too soft and risk not browning.
4. How well does it keep, and can I reheat it?
It keeps very well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, covered. When reheating, you can put it in the oven or microwave, but it remains juicier in the oven.
5. Does the sausage inside need to be cooked beforehand?
No, it’s added raw. It will cook sufficiently in the oven during the baking with the ham hock.
Nutritional Values
Estimation for 1 serving (out of 8): approximately 400-500 kcal, with 25-30 g of protein, 30-35 g of fat, under 3 g of carbohydrates (without side dishes). Values may vary depending on how fatty the ham hock and sausage used are. The ham hock is rich in fat but also has a lot of protein.
Storage and Reheating
The baked ham hock keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 2-3 days. It can be reheated in the oven at 180°C in a covered dish or in the microwave. The texture remains good. I do not recommend freezing; after thawing, it changes texture. If there is a lot of solidified fat, you can remove it when reheating.