If you've ever tucked into a delicious pot of red beans or a memorable split pea soup, the secret ingredient may have been a ham hock. This cut has been utilized for hundreds of years in cuisines ...

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small, lidded, oven-safe casserole, cook ham hock, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and stock, covered, until ham ...

Place the ham hock in a large saucepan or casserole pot and add the carrot, turnip, celery and onion. Cover with water and either place on a stove top and simmer until ham is fork tender or cover ...

Add the garlic and soup celery if using and cook for 5 minutes. Mix into the lentils with the ham hock. Whisk the mustard, honey and vinegar together. Whisk in the oil and check seasoning.

Hocks can be salty and smoky so I advise soaking overnight in cold water. Keep covered in the refrigerator. The meat on a bacon hock takes longer to become tender, so cook on stove-top for an hour ...