Ham Hock Recipes UK: A Classic Parsley Sauce Dinner

This British-style ham hock dinner pairs slow-simmered, tender cured pork with parsley sauce, boiled potatoes and greens. It is a comforting, practical way to cook a ham hock: the gentle simmer keeps the meat moist, and the cooking liquid adds savoury flavour to the sauce or a later soup.

Ingredients

1 uncooked cured ham hock, about 3 lb (1.4 kg), smoked or unsmoked
10 cups water (2.4 L), or enough to cover the hock in the pot
1 medium onion (about 5 oz/150 g), peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot (about 3 oz/85 g), cut into chunks
1 celery stick (about 1 oz/30 g), cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns (5 g)
2 lb floury potatoes (900 g), peeled and cut into even chunks
1 lb cabbage or spring greens (450 g), finely sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g)
2 tbsp plain flour (16 g)
2 cups whole milk (475 ml)
1 packed cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 30 g)
1 tsp English mustard (5 ml)
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg (about 0.3 g), optional
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp cider vinegar (15 ml), optional, for finishing the greens

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Allow about 20 minutes to peel and cut the onion, carrot, potatoes and other vegetables, measure the sauce ingredients, and slice the greens. Check the hock’s label before you start: cured hocks vary in saltiness, and some packaging gives soaking or cooking directions. Do not rinse raw pork; it can spread splashes around the sink. No salt is added at this stage because the hock will season the cooking liquid.
Start the hock gently. Put the ham hock in a large, heavy-based saucepan or stockpot. Add the water, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns. The water should cover the hock; add a little more if needed. Bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any grey foam that rises. Turn the heat down so the liquid barely simmers, then partly cover the pot. A steady, gentle simmer is important: a hard boil can make the meat more ragged and cloudy the broth.
Simmer until tender. Cook for about 3 hours, turning the hock once if it is not fully submerged. Start checking at 2 hours 30 minutes because the shape and size of hocks vary. The meat should be very tender and pull away from the bone easily; if it is still firm, continue simmering and check every 15 minutes. For food safety, check the thickest part of the meat without touching bone with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS gives 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of pork; the hock also needs to become tender enough to separate easily.
Rest and prepare the cooking liquid. Lift the hock onto a board or plate using tongs and a slotted spoon. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered. Strain the cooking liquid into a heatproof jug, keeping it for the sauce or another use; discard the spent vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns. If the liquid tastes very salty, use milk for the sauce rather than adding any of it. Carefully remove the skin and excess fat from the rested hock, then pull the meat into generous pieces, discarding the bone and any tough connective tissue.
Boil the potatoes. While the meat rests, put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slips into the centre of a piece without resistance. Drain well and let them steam-dry in the hot pan for a minute. Serve them whole or lightly crush them with a fork; avoid adding salt until you have tasted the ham.
Make the parsley sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously so it forms a smooth paste without browning. Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, whisking often, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the parsley, mustard, optional nutmeg and black pepper. If you want a more savoury sauce, whisk in cooking liquid a tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go; it can be salty.
Cook the greens. Put the sliced cabbage or spring greens in a saucepan with a splash of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender but still bright. Drain off any excess water. If you like, finish with the cider vinegar, which adds a clean, tart note beside the rich pork and creamy sauce.
Serve. Divide the potatoes and greens among four plates and add the pulled ham hock. Spoon parsley sauce over the meat or serve it in a jug at the table. Taste everything before adding salt, since cured pork can season the whole plate.

Tips

Check whether the hock is smoked. Smoked hocks give the broth a deeper, more assertive flavour; unsmoked ones taste milder and let the parsley stand out. Either works here. If the label says the hock is already cooked, follow its package instructions instead of using this raw-hock cooking time.
Manage saltiness by tasting, not guessing. Cured hocks can vary a lot by producer and curing method. Avoid adding salt to the pot, potatoes or sauce until the end. If the broth is too salty, dilute it with water or leave it out of the sauce; the milk-based sauce is still flavourful without it.
Keep the simmer gentle and the pot covered. You want small, occasional bubbles, not a rolling boil. Check that there is enough liquid to keep the hock mostly covered and top up with hot water if needed. A tight-fitting lid helps prevent the pot from reducing too quickly.
Use a substitute if parsley is unavailable. Chopped chives can replace some or all of the parsley, giving a gentler onion flavour. Dried parsley is less fresh-tasting; use about 2 tbsp (2 g), add it to the sauce while it simmers, and finish with black pepper.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this as a hearty main meal with the boiled potatoes, cabbage or spring greens and a generous spoonful of parsley sauce. Mustard on the side is a good choice for anyone who wants a sharper, hotter contrast. If you prefer a lighter plate, reduce the potato portion and add extra greens or another simple cooked vegetable, such as carrots or leeks.

There is no need to discard the cooking liquid. Once strained, it can be cooled and used as a base for pea soup, lentil soup or a small batch of broth; taste it first and dilute it if it is salty. A little of the pulled hock can also be served in a warm sandwich the next day, with leftover greens and mustard. Keep the sauce separate when storing leftovers so it is easy to reheat without drying out the meat.

Variations

Make it with onion sauce. For a milder alternative to parsley sauce, soften 1 small finely chopped onion (about 4 oz/110 g) in the butter before adding the flour. Continue with the milk as directed. This creates a sweeter, more savoury sauce and is especially useful if you have no fresh herbs.

Serve it with mash. Instead of boiled potatoes, use the same quantity of potatoes to make mash. Boil until tender, drain thoroughly, then mash with 2 tbsp butter (28 g) and up to ¼ cup milk (60 ml). The hock is already salty, so season the mash only after tasting it.

Add peas to the meal. Cook 1½ cups peas (about 225 g), fresh or frozen, in boiling water until just tender and serve them alongside the greens. They add sweetness and colour without changing the main cooking method. For a more substantial plate, replace some of the potatoes with peas rather than adding a much larger portion of everything.

Use the meat in a pie or soup. Keep some pulled hock aside and stir it into a leek-and-potato soup or use it as a savoury pie filling with cooked vegetables. It is already seasoned, so taste the filling before adding salt. These are useful ways to make a larger hock go further, though they are serving ideas rather than extra cooking steps for this recipe.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate the ham, potatoes, greens, sauce and strained cooking liquid within 2 hours of cooking. Store them in separate covered containers; the cooked hock keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Cool the strained liquid promptly in a shallow container before refrigerating, and use it within the same period. If you will not use the meat within 3–4 days, freeze it in meal-sized portions for up to 2–3 months for best quality. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat. Warm the hock with a splash of water or cooking liquid in a covered pan over low heat, turning it until hot throughout. Reheat sauce separately over low heat, whisking in a little milk if it has thickened; warm potatoes and greens until steaming. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the same portion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soak a ham hock before cooking?

Not always. Some hocks are saltier than others, and package directions may recommend soaking, so check the label first. This recipe does not include a soak because it varies by product; if yours specifically calls for one, follow that direction and allow for the extra time. You can also control salt at the table by leaving the cooking liquid out of the sauce.

How do I know when a ham hock is cooked?

Check the thickest part of the meat with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone, and make sure it reaches the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. For this slow-cooked dish, tenderness matters too: the meat should pull away from the bone readily. If it reaches the safe minimum but is still firm, keep simmering gently until tender.

Can I cook ham hock in a slow cooker?

Yes, if your slow cooker is large enough to hold the hock and liquid safely. Add the hock, vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns, then use the appliance’s pork or ham-hock guidance; slow-cooker models and hock sizes vary, so do not rely on the stovetop time as an exact conversion. Check tenderness and the internal temperature with a thermometer, then make the parsley sauce and cook the potatoes and greens separately.

Can I make the parsley sauce without fresh parsley?

Yes. Chives make a practical replacement, with a mild onion flavour rather than the grassy freshness of parsley. You can also use dried parsley, although the sauce will taste less bright; add it while the sauce simmers so it has time to soften. If you have neither, serve the hock with mustard or a simple onion sauce instead.

What can I do with leftover ham hock?

Use leftover meat in sandwiches, add it to pea or lentil soup, or fold it into a savoury pie filling with cooked vegetables. Keep it refrigerated and use within 3–4 days, or freeze it in portions for later. Remember that the meat is cured and may already be salty, so taste soups and fillings before seasoning them.

Can I use the cooking liquid in the parsley sauce?

Yes, but taste it first. Cured pork can release quite a lot of salt into the pot, so replace part of the milk with only a small splash of broth at a time. If the liquid is too salty, dilute it with water for soup or skip it in the sauce. Straining removes the cooked vegetables and peppercorns, but it does not remove dissolved salt.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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