Split pork hocks braise low and slow into tender, gelatinous meat that pulls from the bone. The broth concentrates into a rich sauce with nothing but time and stovetop heat. This shelf asks for a patient cook and rewards with two meals from one pot.

Serves 2. 180 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 250 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the pork hocks dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. When the oil shimmers, add the hocks and let them brown deeply on all sides, turning every two minutes; this takes about ten minutes total. Transfer to a plate.10 min
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. Chop 1 medium onion into rough chunks and 2 medium carrots into thick rounds and add them to the pot with 4 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens and begins to brown, about three minutes.3 min
3. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon dried thyme and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the hocks to the pot, nestling them among the vegetables. The liquid should come halfway up the sides of the hocks; add more water if needed.
4. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Braise for three hours, turning the hocks halfway through, until the meat is tender and pulling from the bone and the liquid has reduced by half.120 min
5. Transfer the hocks to serving bowls. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables to extract their liquid; discard the solids. Skim any fat from the surface with a spoon or let it cool to congealed fat you can lift off. Pour the broth over the hocks and serve hot.

Note The hocks can be brined before cooking if time allows: soak in 2 tablespoons salt per quart of water for two hours. Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge; shred the cooled meat from the bones, layer with broth in a container, and reheat gently on the stove. Serve with soft bread to soak the broth, or pour the cooled broth over rice to stretch into a se