Have you tried these?!

I gotta admit, this is another one of those items I didn't grow up eating.  Why?  I have no idea, because it's a very economical cut, and also very flavorful and practically melts in your mouth.  What am I talking about??

Ham hocks!  Oh.  My.  Goodness!!  I never knew how tender they are, and how easy to prepare.  I like the flavor of ham, but sometimes not so much the texture.  It can often be somewhat dry because there's usually not much marbling.  The hocks, on the other hand, are very moist.  The texture is kinda similar to turkey thigh meat.

And so easy to cook!  Place hock(s) in a crockpot, add water to almost cover them, add a lid and cook on low overnight.  Remove from the liquid and let cool until it's easy to handle.  The hocks will practically fall apart and you can remove and discard the bones and any fat that isn't rendered.  Leave the meat in chunks, or you can pretty much shred it with your hands, it's that soft.  Use the meat as your entree, or add to soups, stews, casseroles, salads, scrambled eggs...there are lots of possibilities.  In my humble opinion, the tenderness of this meat rivals a fillet mignon any day!

You could also cook the hocks in a Dutch oven (250-300 for several hours), or simmer on the stove top for several hours.  Which ever way you cook them, you also end up with a flavorful broth to use for soups or for cooking rice or noodles.

Three hocks in a crockpot...

yielded about 6 cups of meat.