Golonka is a traditional Polish dish made by slow cooking ham hocks. This cut of meat, also known as a pork hock or knuckle, is the ankle of a pig. The word golonka means knuckle in Polish and it is considered one of Poland’s national dishes. The boney and gristly hocks must be slow-cooked—commonly stewed or braised—in order to become tender and palatable. The meat is often baked in the oven after braising to give it a glaze, as in this recipe. Ham hocks are common soul food served mainly in the southern United States, where they are typically eaten with sauerkraut, potatoes, and other roasted vegetables.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- Hocks
- 4 large pork hocks, fresh or smoked
- 1 Tbsp salt, less if using smoked hocks
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 parsnip, peeled
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 juniper berries (optional)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- Glaze
- 12 oz beer
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp reserved cooking liquid
Directions
- For the hocks
- Singe off any hair on the pork hocks using an open flame.
- Rinse and place hocks in a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid. Add enough water to cover hocks by several inches.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Add salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, carrot, onion, parsnip, celery, garlic, parsley, juniper berries, and caraway seeds, if using.
- Return mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1½–3 hours or until the meat is almost falling off the bone.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Transfer hocks from the pot to a baking pan and reserve 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid. Use a small enough baking pan that the hocks are almost touching.
- For the glaze
- Combine beer, honey, and reserved cooking liquid in a small saucepan and set over medium heat until the honey dissolves.
- Pour the mixture over the hocks and bake 30–45 minutes, basting occasionally, until the meat is completely tender and glazed.
- Remove hocks from oven and serve.
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