Ham Hocks with Leeks and White Beans

Cheap Eats, Fit for Company, Rewarms Well

The traditional way to serve this rib-sticking winter feast is to provide each diner with a large ham hock nestled in a bed of white beans, but a leaner approach is to fully cook the ham hocks a day ahead, refrigerate them overnight, spoon off the congealed surface fat, and separate the meat from the skin, fat, and bones. Then the stock from the ham hocks, plus the bones and any skin, is used to cook the beans, and the meat is added near the end. Instead of collards, you can try other varieties of winter greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens, or mustard greens, or a mixture of any of these. Great Northern and navy beans are the easiest to find, but Italian cannellini beans and small white beans are particularly nice. Each bean may vary somewhat in cooking time, so taste them before serving.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

HAM HOCKS:

• 4–6 meaty smoked ham hocks (about 4 pounds total)
• 1 medium onion, spiked with 3 cloves
• 3 garlic cloves, not peeled
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• Dark green tops from 3 medium leeks (from below)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 fresh thyme sprig or ½ teaspoon dried
• 3 fresh sage leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

WHITE BEANS:

• 1½ cups dried white beans (see headnote), picked over and rinsed
• 5 cups ham hock stock (from above), or more as needed
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or ½ teaspoon dried
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
• 3 leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 cups chopped stemmed collard greens or other leafy greens
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

GARNISH:

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
• Tabasco or other hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ham hocks: Throw the ham hocks into a large pot and cover with at least 2½ quarts water. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is quite tender. Remove the hocks, strain the stock, and discard the vegetables and herbs. Refrigerate the hocks and stock separately in airtight containers overnight.
2. Meanwhile, for the beans: Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover by 2 inches.
3. Remove and discard the fat from each ham hock. Pull the meat off the bone in relatively large pieces and set aside. Save the bones and any skin for cooking the beans. Remove the congealed fat from the stock.
4. Drain and rinse the beans. Drop them into a 4-quart pot or Dutch oven and cover with the 5 cups ham hock stock. Add the thyme, fennel seeds, marjoram, sundried tomatoes, and the reserved bones and skin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1¼ hours, adding more stock or water if the beans become dry. Check the beans to see if they are tender. If not, continue to cook,
   adding more stock or water as necessary. When the beans are done, drain the beans and reserve the liquid. Discard the bones and skin. Place the beans back in the pot.
5. Heat the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, collards, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft and the greens have wilted, about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir the vegetables into the beans. Add the reserved ham hock meat and 2 cups of the reserved bean-cooking liquid. Simmer for 10
   minutes, adding more reserved liquid if the beans become too dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. To serve, spoon the beans into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the parsley, basil, and scallions. Let guests add Tabasco to suit their tastes.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Ham, smoked pork chops, or smoked sausages, such as andouille. Ham and pork chops should be cooked in the beans; add sausages to the beans with the vegetables to cook for 10 minutes. Use canned low-sodium chicken broth instead of the ham hock stock.

COOK’S NOTE:

• You can also serve the beans over steamed rice, Louisiana style.