A pork hock, often called a ham knuckle, is cut from the area on the hog where the foot attaches to the leg. Pork hock is commonly smoked to tenderize the meat and infuse it with a rich flavor before cooking with other ingredients. Cooking smoked pork hocks in a Crock-pot requires only a few base ingredients to produce a flavorful dish with tender meat.
Place dry beans of your choice into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a low boil over medium heat on a stove top. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Leave the beans to set for one hour.
Combine chicken broth, bay leaves and ground pepper in a Crock-pot set to high heat.
Place the medium white onion and green sweet pepper onto a clean cutting board. Chop into small pieces using a sharp knife. Discard onionskin and pepper seeds before adding the chopped vegetables into the Crock-pot.
Strain the beans and pour them into the Crock-pot.
Place three to five smoked pork hocks into the Crock-pot and cook on low heat for eight hours.
Remove the pork hocks and cut the meat off the bones with a sharp knife. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and stir back into the mixture in the Crock-pot before serving.