Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Ham Hock

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers ham hock's optimal flavour pairings.

Ham hock instantly conjures the evocative embrace of thiamine and the bracing kiss of smoke, but beneath its umaminess lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as iron, char, and hints of burnt, contributing remarkable depth. The culinary wizardry unfolds when we pair ham hock with ingredients that let these nuances sing.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our exploration reveals, for instance, how the fresh, green cis-3-hexenal in red pepper can carry ham hock, and how chanterelle mushroom's cantharelloid notes forge a beautiful synergy with its porky meatiness.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like maillard, carnal, and spice, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

The Flavour Code

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Porcine Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of pork is strongly associated with the flavour of chanterelle. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a chanterelle flavour, such as chanterelle mushroom, when pairing with the porky aroma notes of ham hock.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing ham hock with chanterelle mushroom.

Harmonious Flavours Of Ham Hock

Just as our analysis shows that pork and brettanomycine flavour accents are often combined, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in ham hock. E.g. the smoky notes of ham hock are often used with garlicy and bay leaf flavours.

The accents associated with the various aroma notes of ham hock can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of red pepper offers many of the aroma accents complementary to ham hock, including tomato and capsicum aroma notes. Because the flavour profile of red pepper has many of the of the features that are complementary to ham hock, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of red pepper across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with ham hock.

Recipes That Pair Ham Hock With Red Pepper

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma notes that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of ham hock, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of ham hock, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the accents complementary to ham hock.

What To Drink With Ham Hock

The grassy notes in verd albera make it a perfect pairing with ham hock. Likewise, the cucumber flavours in cucumber juice create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of ham hock below.

Which Vegetables Go With Ham Hock?

Choose vegetables that infuse with its woodiness or resonate with its nutty aroma. Red pepper offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Yellow bell pepper add a gentle, oniony brightness, while red leaf lettuce introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with ham hock's savoryness. The addition of salad, with its subtle spinacea notes, can complement the protease beautifully. Green cabbage bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while savoy cabbage lends a pondy leafiness.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Ham hock), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.