If you've ever tucked into a delicious pot of red beans or a memorable split pea soup, the secret ingredient may have been a ham hock. This cut has been utilized for hundreds of years in cuisines ...

which makes ham hocks great in side dishes and soups. Ham bones come from the ham cut, which is located on the upper back leg of a pig. With the ham bone, there's some leftover meat. However ...

Mix into the lentils with the ham hock. Whisk the mustard ... with half this and add the chopped parsley. Check seasoning. Cut the feta in to 5 strips. Either cook until a hot grill until golden ...

Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ cm slices. Place in a pan of cold water and simmer until just cooked. Drain well. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and mix to a smooth paste.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small, lidded, oven-safe casserole, cook ham hock, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and stock, covered, until ham ...

Hocks can be salty and smoky so I advise soaking overnight in cold water. Keep covered in the refrigerator. The meat on a bacon hock takes longer to become tender, so cook on stove-top for an hour ...

A flavoursome ham hock with spinach and a perfectly poached egg is my ideal breakfast, especially when ravenous after a morning of exercise. You can buy the bearnaise sauce, but home-made is next ...