ham bone
The leftover bone from a cooked ham, often with some meat still clinging to it; simmered into soups, beans, and greens to give a deep, smoky, salty backbone of flavor that a fresh bone can't match.
Buying guidance
Look for a bone with a decent amount of meat still on it rather than picked clean, sold refrigerated in intact packaging with a good use-by date. Because it's a cured, smoked product, it's also adding seasoning wherever it goes -- taste before adding more salt, since the bone itself can be quite salty.
Substitutions
- Smoked ham hock -- similar smoky depth and more consistently meaty, though it usually gives less gelatin than a true bone.
- Turkey wings or a smoked turkey leg -- good smoky substitute; simmer longer to make up for less marrow and connective tissue.
- Rich stock plus a few drops of liquid smoke -- fastest option, but lacks the body a simmered bone adds from its gelatin.
Tips & common mistakes
When simmering it into a broth, skim off the foam and rendered fat that rise to the surface early on, or the finished liquid will taste greasy and look cloudy instead of clean.
Storage
It freezes well for months, so if there's no immediate plan for it, wrap it tightly and freeze it rather than letting it sit in the fridge past a few days -- many cooks save one after a holiday ham specifically to have on hand later.