Pork, pickled pork hocks

Pickled pork hocks are hocks that have been cured and packed in a vinegar or brine solution, a preparation found in Southern American, Pennsylvania Dutch, and German kitchens alike. They are typically sold in jars, ready to eat cold sliced off the bone as a tangy, savory snack, or simmered into pots of beans, collard greens, or sauerkraut where the meat softens further and the brine seasons the whole dish. The texture is gelatinous and tender from the connective tissue in the hock, with a distinct sour edge from the pickling liquid that sets it apart from a plain smoked or fresh hock. Some cooks pull the meat off the bone entirely and stir it through potato salad or a bean salad for a smoky, tangy accent.

Once opened, keep pickled hocks refrigerated in their own liquid and use them within a few days for best texture. They are a genuinely dense protein source, delivering 19.1 grams of protein per 100 grams, about 38% of the Daily Value, at a modest 171 calories per 100 grams. The tradeoff is sodium: at 1,050 milligrams per 100 grams, they are best treated as a flavoring meat stirred into a large pot of beans or greens rather than eaten as a standalone portion.