Okay, let’s not pretend this is a health food. Ham hocks are cured, which means they’re swimming in sodium. A single hock can pack over 1,000 milligrams of salt—that’s nearly half your daily limit in one chunk of pork knuckle.
If you have high blood pressure or are trying to cut back on salt, you’ll want to be careful. Pro tip: soak the hock in cold water for an hour before cooking to draw out some of that salty brine. Your heart will thank you.
What Exactly Is A Ham Hock And How Do You Cook With It?
Then there’s the fat. Yes, ham hocks have a decent amount of saturated fat—about 7 grams per serving. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not something you want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner unless you’re a bear preparing for hibernation.
But Wait—Not All Fat Is Evil!
Here’s the twist: a lot of that fat is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, the “good” kind that can actually help your heart. Plus, when you cook the hock and skim the fat off the broth, you’re removing much of the bad stuff.
So, if you treat it like a seasoning rather than a main course, you’re golden. A bit of hock in your beans or collard greens adds depth without turning dinner into a grease fire.
