SLOW BRAISED PORK HOCKS IN BEER

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• For the cooking in the pressure cooker:
• Water (enough to cover the hocks in the pan)
• 2-3 garlic cloves – unpeeled and mashed
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 onion – roughly chopped up
• 2 leeks (washed)
• 1 large carrot – chopped
• salt and pepper – to taste
• For braising and final cooking:
• 2- 3 tablespoon of vegetable/canola oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 leek, washed and diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2-3 cloves of mince garlic
• 1 teaspoon each of chopped fresh oregano, rosemary and thyme
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 cup of beer (ale, dark beer is best)
• 2 cups of reserved cooking broth
• 1 bouillon cube (may not need)
• 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise mixed in with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Place the hock/shanks, onion, garlic, celery, cloves, pepper, leeks, carrot and water in a pressure cooker. Simply lock on the lid and bring to pressure over high heat, about 7 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-high and cook for 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Gently release any remaining pressure and slowly and CAREFULLY open up the pot.

Test the hocks - they should be fork tender. Remove and place in a dish and put aside. Strain the cooking broth from the vegetables and set aside – you should have about 2 cups – approximately.

In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan, pour the vegetable/canola oil and heat up over high heat. Add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. The fresh herbs and mix together until onions are translucent. A this point, season with salt and pepper.

Add the pork hock and coat them with the vegetables. Add the beer, the reserved broth and bring to a boil. At this point taste the liquid and make sure to adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and if needed you can add the bouillon cube.

Once you bring it to a boil, lower it to medium heat, cover and cook for approximately 2 hours, making sure that you stir it from time to time, and watching the liquid reduce to a nice thick consistency.

At end of 2 hours, check and by this time the hocks meat should be falling of the bone.

If you have an immersion blender, now it’s the time to use it. Add the mayo-mustard mix and blend the sauce until medium smooth (you want to make sure it still has a bit of consistency). You can also do this in a regular blender.

Cook a bit more, about 5 more minutes and then prepare to have everyone at your table get dirty when they start to use their finger to get every-last-bit of goodness on this plate.