Soy Braised Ham Hocks and Lily Bulb

From Fusion Meals

Raw ham hocks prior to cooking

From Fusion Meals

Ham hocks with braising liquid and ingredients

From Fusion Meals

Delicious ham hocks ready to serve

From Fusion Meals

Side of stir-fried zucchini and carrots

Background:

It's Friday night, and I decided to spring for something a bit more special (though still simple to prepare).  I bought some ham hocks at the Korean market (H-Mart) this past weekend and decided to cook a dish that's near and dear to me -- soy braised ham hocks.

Prep:

• 2 ham hocks at room temperature
• 2 generous slices of ginger
• 2 pods of star anise
• 3 pods of dried chili
• 1 small handful of dried lily bulb (optional - may be found in some Asian markets)
• 1 TB brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of soy
• 1 TB vinegar
• 2 TB of rice wine
• 1 and 1/2 cup of water

Cooking:

• Combine all ingredients in pot (yes you can do so all at once - how easy is that?)
• Bring liquid to a boil
• Once boiling, turn down heat to low simmer
• Season liquid with additional salt as necessary
  
• Cook for 1.5-2 hours while turning every 20 min to 1/2 hour to make sure all sides of the ham hocks get a good soak in that braising liquid
• Note: Resist the urge to add too much water to braising liquid.  All you need is ~ 1/2" of liquid (measured from bottom to side of pot) to keep the ham hocks nice and moist.
• Note2: Towards the end of the cooking process, the combination of reduced liquid and fat from the ham hocks will create a nice glaze.  At this point, you'll need to watch the pot carefully to avoid burning the dish.  The trick is to get to this step in sync with the meat being done (e.g. tender and nearly falling off the bones) and the liquid coming to a glaze.