Homemade ham soup is one of those traditional dishes that remain engraved on our palate. When autumn arrives and the temperatures drop, the memory of its flavour is activated involuntarily and the need to eat it all the time arises.
Like other traditional Spanish dishes, such as croquettes, pasties or potato omelette, ham broth is made differently in each house and, of course, my mother makes the best!
Homemade ham soup recipe
As we are going to see throughout this article, there are countless recipes for homemade ham hock soup. At Gastronomic Spain, we at Gastronomic Spain propose a recipe that is easy to prepare and which will provide all the substance of the ham bone. With just a few common ingredients and very little time, you can obtain a delicious and very economical homemade ham stock.
Ingredients to make the perfect ham soup to combat the cold weather
For this recipe, we are going to use domestic ingredients, very easy to find in any supermarket and at a very economical price:
Ingredients for 4 litres of homemade ham soup:
. 1 onion
. 2 carrots .
. 1 leek stalk .
. 2 ham bones .
. Virgin olive oil .
. Salt
What utensils do we need to make homemade ham soup?
When it comes to making ham stock, we are going to use the usual utensils we have in our kitchen. As we have already mentioned, it is a simple recipe and very easy to make.
Utensils needed to make the homemade ham stock recipe:
. 1 pot with a capacity of 5 – 6 litres.
. 1 cutting board.
. 1 onion knife .
. 1 colander .
. 1 sieve .
. glass jars
. A wooden spoon .
Homemade ham broth step by step
The preparation of this broth is very simple, it is not necessary to be skilled in the kitchen or to be a knife virtuoso. Simply follow the steps in the recipe, there is no possibility of error.
1) First of all, we are going to cut the onion into julienne strips, in fine pieces, to make cooking easier. Once cut, we are going to put the onion in the pan with a drizzle of oil and over a medium heat.
2) Secondly, we are going to peel and cut the carrots into slices which we will introduce into the pot after the onion.
3) Next, add the ham bones, it is advisable to cut them up so that the substance of the bone, fat and lean ham contributes all its flavour to the broth.
4) Stir continuously so that the onion does not burn. Once the onion is very dark, add about 5 – 6 litres of water to the pot.
5) Turn up the heat and let the water reduce little by little.
6) Add the leek stalks. Make sure they are perfectly clean. We are going to use the green part of the leek and it is common to find soil between the leaves.
7) Let the stock reduce for 1 to 2 hours. The more it is reduced, the more concentrated it will be and the more flavour it will have. You will see that it acquires a dark colour from the beginning, this colour is provided by the onion and the juices from the ham.
8) After these 2 hours, we are going to strain the resulting broth into a new pot. To do this we will use a sieve. We advise you to strain it through a sieve, as it will not allow the impurities and foam that have appeared during the cooking process to pass through.
9) Put the resulting broth back on the heat. Now we are going to season it and check the salt content.
10) The homemade ham broth is now ready to eat.
11) I’m sure you are wondering if the stock needs to be degreased. If your idea is to eat some of the stock straight away, the answer is yes, you must defat it. On the other hand, if you are going to leave it to cool and consume it another day, we recommend that you do not. The reason why we recommend that you do not defat it is because when it is packaged in a glass jar, the fat will clump together at the top, creating a film that prevents the broth from coming into contact with the air. Once the resulting broth is not hot, store it in the fridge, the fat will solify and can be removed easily and quickly.
how to choose the right ham bone for homemade ham stock?
The ideal ham bone for homemade ham stock is obtained from Iberian or Serrano hams. Hams have different bones, so it is important to know which bone to use if you want the stock to have the expected flavour.
It could be said that homemade ham broth is a “free-range” food, made from the bones left over from eating a ham. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “They even eat the pig’s feet! This saying gives us an idea of what it’s all about”.
The bone to be used to make the stock is the knuckle bone. This bone is located above the hoof. As it is surrounded by a thick rind (dry pig skin), the meat inside is not usually cut with a knife and is therefore used for cooking.
It has a length of about 10-15 cm and a diameter of about 7 cm. The meat and the rind around the bone is highly cured and adds a lot of flavour to dishes.
Making ham bones Stock
The knuckle bone is coarse, thick and very compact. The meat and skin around the bone is highly cured. In order for the stock to get all the juices from the bone, it is important to cook it well, and to do this the ham bone must be chopped up. The characteristics of this bone mean that it can be cut in two ways: with an electric saw in the butcher’s shop or by cutting the bone at the joint.
Types of ham broth recipe you can make at home
There is a wide variety of Serrano ham broths that you can make at home. Depending on your tastes, needs and the time you have available, you can make one or another. Here is a small selection of the most popular ham broths.
Ham and chicken broth, much more than just flavour
Ham and chicken stock stands out above all for its flavour. Ham and chicken form a delicious combination, two meats that go very well together and that can be found together in other recipes such as ham and chicken croquettes.
It is made in the same way as the ham broth described above, with the difference that we are going to add 2 chicken thighs once the water has been added to the pot. In this way, the juices from the chicken will be integrated into the stock, giving it all its flavour and allowing the chicken thighs to be used in another dish such as croquettes or stews.
ham hough soup
If you love cooking but don’t have enough time to cook on a slow cooker, you probably have an express cooker at home. For many, the crock pot is an essential kitchen utensil. The procedure is the same as if you make the broth in a regular pot, except that the cooking process is accelerated by the type of cooking provided by the crock pot.
When the broth is ready, you can remove the meat from the bone. After slicing it very thinly, put it into the stock.
Pea and ham soup
The Pea and ham soup is a dish with which we can use the “leftovers” we have in the fridge, a piece of ham, a piece of onion, a few carrots and a Peas. With these four ingredients we can do wonders. The vegetables give the ham and vegetable stock a particular touch and give it a characteristic colour, from darker to lighter, passing through orange or greenish tones.
ham and potato soup
Ham and potato soup is a more concentrated type of broth. The preparation of ham and potato soups is very similar to the rest of the recipes, with the difference that it will be reduced more and you cook the potatoes directly in the soup. so it will have a more intense flavour and a darker colour.
ham hock soup
ham hock soup is a UK recipe. We propose a Spanish version. You could say that it is a thicker soup, where pumpkin, courgettes, carrots and sometimes even ribs are added.
Iberian ham bone soup
Iberian ham bone soup is a variant of homemade ham stock, with the difference that a bone from Iberian pigs is used in its preparation. Depending on the bone, we can find bones from fattened Iberian pigs and bones from acorn-fed Iberian pigs. Between the two, the most appreciated is the acorn-fed one, whose meat has a more pleasant, delicate flavour on the palate.
Other recipes with ham bone that you can make at home
The ham bone is a “condiment” widely used in Spanish gastronomy. Apart from ham broth, these bones contribute their flavour to other renowned traditional dishes, such as lentils with ham, cocido madrileño or fabada Asturiana.
ham and lentil soup
ham and lentil soup is a very popular spoon dish in the winter months. It is one of those homemade dishes that are eaten with the family and which provides a high energy value to face the working day. The bone is introduced into the lentils and the juices are released during the cooking process.
Madrilenian stew
Cocido madrileño is another typical winter dish. It is a great source of energy, as in addition to the ham bone, it contains chorizo, bacon, veal, blood sausage and chopped ham. The bone adds more flavour to the dish. Like the rest of the recipes, it is a slow-cooked dish.
Fabada Asturiana
Fabada Asturiana is another renowned dish in which the ham bone is a must. In an indirect way, the ham broth it contributes gives the beans their characteristic flavour.
Tips and tricks for making ham bone stock
As with any good recipe, there are a few tricks that will make this recipe a delicious dish. In the kitchen, time is money, so simmering dishes is a guarantee that they will be very good.
Sauté well
Some people make the stock by adding all the ingredients to the water at once. Our advice is to fry all the ingredients in olive oil before adding the water. The best way to get all the flavour out of them is to fry them and then cook them. Also, frying the vegetables and the ham bone will give the broth a darker flavour.
Quick canning in jars
Usually, when you make homemade broth, you make it to keep and drink over the days. For this reason, we advise you to pack it in glass jars when it is still very hot. This will create a bain-marie that will make it easier to preserve the stock. In addition, when the stock has cooled inside the glass jar, a natural crust will be created with the fat from the ham bone itself.
Ham stock that you can buy at Gastronomic Spain
Ham stock is one of those recipes that are made with everyday ingredients from our gastronomy. However, when you live outside Spain, it is difficult to have access to some of these ingredients, such as the ham bone. Something so basic that it can be an impossible mission to find it abroad.
If you are one of those people who don’t want to cook and prefer to enjoy a good homemade broth from the supermarket, we recommend 2 brands that stand out for their flavour and quality.
Gallina Blanca ham stock
Gallina Blanca has a wide range of homemade broths, among which the homemade ham broth stands out. A delicious broth.
Aneto ham stock
Aneto makes a high quality homemade broth. They are broths with a powerful flavour, ideal to take with pasta or to drink in a bowl.
