Gumbo with Ham hock

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Any benefit of throwing some hocks in with store bought chicken stock?

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Using ham to make your gumbo stock creates a pretty rich stock. I’d only use it and no chicken stock. It is very good though. You’ll also find you don’t have to add as much salt to your gumbo.

I’ve used ham hocks to make pork stock for a pulled pork andouille gumbo. I wouldn’t add it to chicken stock though. Use it to make its own stock

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Any benefit of throwing some hocks in with store bought chicken stock?

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I do this often and it tastes good. adds another level to your stock, and more meat.

I wouldn’t want it because I want a chicken flavor if I’m cooking chicken gumbo. I don’t want to add pork broth to my chicken broth. But go for it and see if you like it. It’s an interesting topic though.

Let’s talk about what a ham hock is. It’s bones, pork meat, and skin. It’s cured and brined with ham pickling spices (allspice, cloves, coriander, etc). It’s smoked.

The smoke flavor can add to the gumbo. Cooking the bones and skin down adds a pork broth that’s not common in gumbo. The pork meat, not as a sausage, isn’t common.

What’s interesting is tasso ham is cured and brined in pickling spice and smoked. but it’s boneless and seasoned with Cajun spice. So I guess if people use Tasso ham in their gumbo, then the ham flavor may be common.

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gumbo z'herbes

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That was going to my suggestion. The one time I made it for New Year's Dinner, I used ham hocks.

The Chisesi ham shanks are even better than hocks for beans.