![country ham potlikker broth in a large pot](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.bonappetit.com/photos/61f93f042afaff301442b22b/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Country-Ham-Potlikker.jpg)
Potlikker (or “pot liquor”) is the brothy, nutrient-dense liquid gold traditionally left behind after boiling greens and beans. An ingredient whose use sheds light on the complex racialized history of Southern cooking, potlikker was once valued only by diligent enslaved Africans who saved the nourishing broth for their families after cooking greens. Chef Carla Hall, for whom potlikker was an essential element of her childhood, switches up the order, making potlikker from scratch to use as an ultra-concentrated broth—for Hall, that’s often the first step in imbuing a dish with layers of meaty flavor. Here she makes potlikker with dry-cured country ham. If you can’t find country ham, smoked ham hocks will bring similar intensity.
Use this potlikker as a base for Hall’s Bean and Vegetable Salad With Potlikker Vinaigrette, her Smothered Pork Chops in Potlikker Gravy, or any dish that would benefit from a rich, meaty broth.
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What you’ll need
Large Saucepan
$60 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$16.37 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Glass Storage Container
$16 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 2½ cups
Ingredients
1
2
¾
½
Preparation
Step 1
Bring ham, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and 1 quart water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface as needed, 1 hour.
Step 2
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl. Pick out ham and reserve for another use; discard remaining solids.
Do Ahead: Potlikker can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
Leave a Review
Reviews (6)
Back to TopRecipes are fine, but a new technique that can be applied elsewhere - now that's useful information!
Tom H.
Raleigh, NC
2/15/2022
Have never made potlikker but it has inspired me to do so, will use smoked ham hock
Gillian
Canada
3/7/2022