Roast Ham Hock with Honey and Mustard

Crispy roast ham hock slowly baked with cider and onions, then glazed with honey & Dijon mustard is a glorious way to cook this cut of meat.

This recipe takes a long old time, soaking takes around a day and then it takes another 4 hours to cook, but it is almost all hands off and it is very easy!

Glazed Ham Hock

This cider roosted crisp ham hock recipe is one that arises from a question on social media. I was asked if my pork knuckle recipe could be used to cook a cured ham hock.

Of course, I was up to the task, so I gave it a go and to be honest a like-for-like swap resulted in a fairly uninspired dish.

So here I am with a tweaked recipe that works exceptionally well with salty ham hock.

Out goes the beer and in comes good old-fashioned scrumpy, or dry cider… and because it is ham I’ve added a honey and mustard glaze. Why mess with something that works exceptionally well?

Usually, ham hocks are boiled and then roasted. Now my kitchen is packed with all sorts of things, but not a pan big enough to do that, so I developed this recipe, which soaks the ham, then roasts it.

It works wonderfully, the meat remains beautifully tender, and salty but not too salty. And that cider cooking liquid forms a wonderful sauce to serve it all with!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to soak the ham hock?

Yes, please do not skip this step, your dish will be incredibly salty if you do!

Can I use an uncured pork knuckle?

Yes, the flavours work ok with an uncured pork knuckle, although you will not need to soak that. However, I do have a crispy beer-roasted pork knuckle with flavours that work a little better.

What can I do with the left over ham?

This is a rare recipe of mine that will definitely produce leftovers if you cook for two as I do most of the time.

But the leftover meat makes awesome sandwiches, you could also use it in my gammon pasta recipe, in a fidget pie, a pea and ham soup, and last but certainly not least, it makes a cracking sandwich!

What cider should I use?

Any dry cider works well. Recently I’ve been using Aspall Premier Cru Dry Cyder in a lot of my cooking recipes.

A NOTE FOR US READERS!

Outside of the US cider almost always refers to booze, so use what you guys refer to as hard cider. I have no recommendations though, sorry, but you should look for something dry and not sweet!

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my roast ham hock in these pictures with some air-fried potato wedges, salad leaves and a sauce made from the cider and onion cooking liquid.

As far as I am concerned, potatoes are an essential side for this dish, but it is incredibly versatile.

You could add everything from mashed potato or classic roast potatoes, to some indulgent fondant potatoes or even simply boiled herby potatoes.

If you want to serve this with more of a classic sauce with ham, fear not, I’ve got you with this delicious parsley sauce.

When it comes to greens, I like to serve ham with peas, garden peas are good, marrowfat peas are better but if you want the pinnacle then go for mushy peas!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Baking tray.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Small mixing bowl and spoon.
• Basting brush.
• Blender.
• A combination of measuring scales, measuring jug, cups and spoons.

Roast Ham Hock Step-by-Step Photos.

1. Place the chopped onions and bay leaf onto a baking sheet
   
2. Add the 24-hour-soaked ham hock, pour over the cider, and top up with water. Place in the oven for 3½ hours at 160°C or 320°F.
   
3. Turn up the heat to 220°C or 430°F and leave it in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, while you mix the honey and mustard.
   
4. Remove the tray from the oven, remove the pork and tip the juices into a blender (remove the bay leaf) and blend.
   
   
5. Brush the ham hock with the honey mustard mix, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with a side salad along with your favourite potato side dish and the sauce from roasting.