What The Heck Is Ham Hock?!?

Yesterday, the staff of WBKR had a lovely potluck lunch. Well, it was lovely, until my southern card was pulled! I know what you're saying... Have you heard this girl? Well, apparently it doesn't matter that I sound like I came straight from Dollywood or that I've lived in either Tennessee or Kentucky my whole life. All was questioned when my (normally friendly) general manager realized  I had no idea what ham hock is!So, I decided to do some research on this so-called "ham hock". Well, what I found is that I'm glad I didn't know what it was! Let me quote Wikipedia:

" A ham hock is the joint between the tibia/fibula and the metatarsals of the foot, where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg – also known as pork knuckle – that is neither part of the ham proper nor the foot or ankle, but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone and the associated skin, fat, tendons, and muscle."

Ewww! I'm sorry, but anything that is the "shank end" of anything does not sound appetizing! So, if not knowing what a ham hock is doesn't make me southern, well I guess I'll just take my bless her heart, y'all saying, twang talking self somewhere else! ;)

And y'all can just keep your ham hock, hog jowls and pigs feet and go on! Ha!