Cured pork shoulder hock[i] and speck[ii]

I answered some swine-related questions at work this week, so tonight I thought I’d have some pork.

Recipe

Ingredients

• Cured pork shoulder hock
• Cured pork speck
• Cabbage
• Beef fat
• Salt
• Water
• Bowen mango

Equipment

• Slow cooker
• Barbecue grill with a cast-iron hot plate.

Instructions

1. Place the pork products and a cup of water into the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
3. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and dissect out the bones and some of the tougher ligaments.
4. Pull the meat with a pair of forks.
5. Place the cabbage into a saucepan and add some boiling water, beef fat, and salt.
6. “Parboil” the cabbage until it softens a little.
7. Remove the cabbage from the liquid, drain and remove excess liquid, and freeze.
8. Heat the barbecue grill and cast-iron hot plate.
9. Cook the cabbage on the hot plate until the surfaces have caramelised.
10. Slice some Bowen mango.
11. Arrange a dinner plate with the pork, cabbage, and mango.
12. Season with some flaky salt.

Thoughts on the meal

I enjoy slowly cooked pork, especially joints like cured hock. I particularly enjoy fatty products like speck, too.

Cabbage always goes well with pork, and some fruit “cuts” the flavours nicely.

Photographs

This is a gallery of images. Select one and scroll through the gallery.

Other meals

I went on a carbohydrate splurge today.

Morning tea[iii]

I bought a cream bun and had it with a cup of coffee. It was lovely. The cream was light and not too sweet. The strawberry jam was also nice.

Lunch

I made a steak sandwich with some white sourdough bread, which I’d lightly toasted. I also added chunks of butter to some lightly toasted sourdough “croutons.” For contrast, I chomped on a pickled gherkin, too.

---

[i] A cured pork shoulder hock is a cut of pork taken from the he pig’s foreleg (the hock), that has been preserved and flavoured through curing—typically with salt, sugar, and sometimes spices. It’s known for its flavour and gelatinous texture, often used to add depth to soups, stews, beans, and braised dishes.

[ii] Speck is a type of cured, lightly smoked ham from the South Tyrol region of northern Italy. It’s made from pork leg, seasoned with spices like juniper and bay leaves, then smoked and aged in mountain air, giving it a distinctive savory, smoky flavour.

[iii] In Australian slang, “mornos” means morning tea—a mid-morning break, usually around 10–11 am, where people pause for a snack, a cuppa, or a chat. When working with ADF colleagues, the word “mornos” is commonly used.