Every year on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, I make green eggs and ham for my family. Dr. Seuss was an integral part of one of my favorite summer memories: When I was in college, I worked at Camp St. Croix, an environmental camp for kids, and we put on a puppet show of The Lorax to teach the kids about healthy environmental practices. I loved that summer job and all the very special people and kids I worked with there. This recipe is in honor of all my amazing camp memories.
To save on cost and time spent running to the market, I get a whole pasture-raised pig from a local farmer to keep in our chest freezer. I love having choices for different cuts of meat readily available in my freezer at all times! When ordering a whole pig, one of the options is smoked ham hocks, which comes from the shank. It is already cooked; all you need to do is heat it up (it tastes great cold, too). You don’t need to purchase a whole pig to make this dish, though—just stop by your local butcher to purchase smoked ham hock steaks to store in your freezer for easy breakfasts or dinners.