How to Make Ham Stock With a Leftover Bone

I live in a suburban neighborhood that’s tucked away in the woods, and I walk my dog very early every morning, when it’s still dark out. Thursdays are particularly exciting because that’s garbage day — when raccoons often pillage the bins left out by the street, leaving tasty discards on the ground that my 85-pound bloodhound mix happily snarfs up. One particular morning last December, my headlamp caught something large and unusual in the distance. In the early-morning dark, this object in the middle of the street looked, I swear, like Thor’s hammer, its hefty head weighted down to the ground with its handle sticking straight up, glinting.

As we got closer and I shined more light on the item, I realized (at the same time as my dog) that it was not a mythical weapon but a ham bone, with so much meat still attached that it shared the shape of said Norse weapon. As my dog happily claimed his treasure and we walked back home, I grew furious — not at my dog (I was happy for him) or the raccoons (hey, trash pandas are gonna trash panda). No, I was enraged at the missed opportunity for ham stock! Who would throw out such a valuable ingredient? 

The joys of ham stock

We’ve shared a recipe for ham broth before, and we’ve also touted the great ways to use a leftover ham bone. I’m here to reinforce that message, to implore you to eke every last molecule of goodness from your holiday ham bone before you toss it in the bin. After you’ve cut as many lovely pink slices from the ham as you can, there’s still so much more goodness to extract.

I make ham stock using the same rough amounts as the ham broth recipe mentioned above, but I do it in my Instant Pot. It’s an easy way for me to just let the bone do its thing for a few hours, unattended, while I turn my attention to some serious post-holiday lounging. The resulting stock has a faint saltiness, an unmistakable meaty-sweet richness from the ham, and a whiff of smoke flavor. It’s fantastically gelatinous once chilled and full-bodied when reheated. It’s my favorite kind of stock to make and use. 

What to do with ham stock

I typically freeze some of the stock for a rainy day but use the rest of it pretty quickly. I always whip up a simple soup with chopped bits of ham, celery, onion, carrots, thyme, ditalini pasta, spinach or kale, and chopped Roma tomatoes. The richness of the ham stock makes it just about the most warming and soul-lifting thing I ever make — I raised my two kids on that soup.

I also use my precious ham stock to braise collard greens and simmer dried black-eyed peas for my New Year’s Day fête. I’ve found that ham stock is also killer in a split pea soup, for red beans and rice, in risotto, or for a brothy pasta dish topped with bacon. At breakfast, I’ll add a splash to a pot of grits and/or use it to make red-eye gravy. I’ve pan-fried breaded pork chops and made gravy with ham stock — and been met with literal applause. 

Where to get a ham bone if you didn’t cook a holiday ham

Many grocery stores and butcher shops sell ham bones. They’re more popular than you might think. You’ll sometimes find them in the frozen foods section where they might be labeled “soup bones,” or you can ask at the butcher counter. You can also substitute a couple of ham hocks if you are unable to find ham bones near you. One word of caution: Beware of online sources that suggest ordering ham bones from Amazon; those are most likely dog treats!

Bottom line

Whenever you buy a bone-in ham, I want you to get excited about the second life of that purchase. I want you to be just as stoked for all of the ham stock uses as you are for the sliced ham you’ll serve on the holiday table. The bone and meaty bits that cling to it are simply too good to go to waste. Sorry, trash pandas.