Pot O' Great Northerns

[thirdeye]

Sunday afternoon I did a second smoke these beauties.

I just put the shanks in the slo-cooker with the other fixins' and they will stay on auto pilot all day. Maybe this is a good reason to leave work early......

 

[Q_Egg]

.... how about a bit more about the shanks? That looks great and something I want to add to my repertoire.

Thanks

 

[thirdeye]

.... how about a bit more about the shanks? That looks great and something I want to add to my repertoire.

Thanks

Hi Tom,

Where as hocks are cut from the tapered end of a ham or picnic and quite meaty for their size, shanks are cut below the hock. Like a shin. Compared to hocks, they have a larger bone, less meat, more skin but more flavor. It is near impossible for me to find fresh ones so I buy the commercially smoked ones and do the second smoke on them, about 2 hours or so at 225°. I used cherry wood and that added to the good color. These were from a processor in Nebraska and appear to be really good quality.

 

[Q_Egg]

..... thanks for the quick and helpful Reply. I'll start my local search process. The cooler weather is finally settling in and beans are high on my Winter cook list.

Regards,

 

[thirdeye]

..... thanks for the quick and helpful Reply. I'll start my local search process. The cooler weather is finally settling in and beans are high on my Winter cook list.

Regards,

That's no kidding. Here was Monday night at my house. I haven't even winterized my sprinkler system yet.

 

[tony76248]

I normally do not cook my hocks first, but if you do, it will provide you with a slightly different flavor to your beans. Either way, they are the way to go when preparing pintos or any beans. I actually never liked black eyed peas until I had them cooked this way. Great post.

 

[thirdeye]

These suckers were meatier than they looked. I came home over lunch to check on them and the shanks were ready to shread. It was mostly all the darker "sweet meat" like you see next to the bone on a picnic.

 

[Plowboy]

I just made a batch with smoked hocks and northerns on Friday to take camping with us. I usually get cured hocks from my brother in law, but I was out so I bought smoked hocks from the supermarket. It just wasn't the same. They had almost no meat and were too dry. I'd like to try shanks. Brother in law is a hog farmer and sells his own product. www.hinckfarms.com

You may want to try contacting local meat lockers to see if they can save some hocks special for you.

 

[Dustaway]

Damn sure looks great :lol: sure does make me home sick for the center of the universe :roll:

 

[Kevin]

The black eyed pea thread got me hankerin for some beans. Saving the black eyed peas for New Years day so I did great northerns today. Soaked in water overnight. Rinsed and put in crockpot with 2 smoked ham hocks, a big onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves and 1 jap. Cooked it all in chicken stock. About 6 hour on high setting and man is this good. Sometimes simple is the way to go.

 

[fnnm358]

have to love those beans and hocks making me hungry

 

[tony76248]

Ok that does it!!!!! My black eyed peas go on tonight!

 

[thirdeye]

Ya know Kevin, in the last two pots of GN's I've used smoked turkey legs. They are really good in beans too.

The meat shreads just like pulled pork. In fact, I've been meaning to mix up some with some sauce for sandwiches.

 

[Kevin]

Oh yeah! Looking good as usual there thirdeye. I like to brine and smoke turkey legs. I'll have to give that a try.