tried to cook a ham hock, but again a failure!!

[piggynose]

I cooked it in my usual trusty tefal pressure cooker, but after over an hour of cooking, it still was only partly cooked. dont remember my dear old mum having this problem when she was alive.
any advice would be gratefully accepted.

[Fitzer]

Is the hock completely covered in the liquid and is the pressure high enough, IIRC 15lbs should be the weight. Apart from that I can't think of anything that would prevent it from being done after an hour. As an aside do you bring yours to the boil in the open pan and then change the water for the main cooking, I find this removes a lot of the salt?

[heathfield]

I usually give a ham hock a minimum of two hours in an open pan. This allows me to skim off the scum that forms over the first half hour or so. I certainly don't change the water - it's used as stock. To reduce the salt, soaking overnight in fresh water helps, though if I'm making a soup using lentils or split peas i find they need quite a lot of salt anyway. Maybe, if you're using smoked hocks, Piggy, they're less properlyl smoked than in your mum's days.

[Bromsgrove]

I would agree with what Fitzer said and only wish to add that I soak mine in cold water overnight to remove the salt.
It might be an idea to check your rubber ring on the cooker lid to ensure you are getting a good seal. Don't give up, it is well worth doing!

[piggynose]

i usually put the hamhock in the steaming container, and fill up with water just below this steamer, maybe i should try your suggestions.

thanx

[thisiswhatithink]

boil it slowly then bake it. but score the fat first otherwise it curles.

[Hopkirk]

Buy a ready cooked one?

[askyourgran]

I do what Heathfield does. check your pressure cooker seals and weights.

Hopkirk, the best ideas are simple. x

[piggynose]

i give up now.
the pressure cooker seals are ok.
I dont have an oven. Its never the same as what iused to get in my local restaurant(its a winter meal, so stopped now) I followed everyones advice, but still waste of time. eg left the hock in water overnight, made sure it was covered in water, but still cant get that soft ham texture, just a dark pork texture. : (

[pastafreak]

I've done it in the slow cooker...it falls apart.