Stinco di maiale al forno con le patate (Roasted Pork Hock and Potatoes)

📝 Ingredients

• 2 fresh ham (pork hocks)
• 1 onion (cut into wedges)
• 1 carrots (cut into chunks)
• 1 celery stalk (cut into lengths)
• A bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• A spring of fresh rosemary
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (peeled)
• Salt and pepper
• 500 g 1 lb (or more) waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• A spring of rosemary
• 1-2 cloves of garlic in their skin
• White wine

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1To start, simmer the pork hocks and aromatics in enough water to cover for about 1-1/2-2 hours. (You can reduce the time to 30-45 minutes in a pressure cooker.) Remove the hocks from their liquid on to a cutting board. Score the skins of your pork hocks in a crosshatch patterns with a sharp knife. Let them cool off and air-dry for a few minutes before proceeding.
2. 2While the pork hocks are cooling, mince all the dry marinade ingredients together very finely, until you have a kind of paste. (A food processor makes short work of this, but for a finer result, chop the ingredients first with a knife and then grind everything together with a mortar and pestle.) Apply this paste all over the hocks, taking special care to make sure it gets into the crevices where you've scored the skin and on any exposed meat. If you have time, let the meat rest to let the marinade penetrate into the meat, as long as overnight—but even a hour will do.
3. 3Grease the bottom of a large baking dish or roasting pan with olive oil, then put the hocks in. Roast them at 180C/350F for 45-60 minutes, basting with white wine (or some of the simmering liquid if you prefer) from time to time.
4. 4While the hocks are roasting, in a large mixing bowl, dress the potato wedges with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. 5Remove the hocks from the oven. Surround the hocks with the dressed potato wedges, then nestle the rosemary and garlic cloves among them. Put the pan back in the oven and continue roasting and basting for another 45-60 minutes, until the pork hocks and potato wedges are both tender and nicely golden brown on the outside.
6. 6Let rest for a few minutes before serving.