This feature was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and Infiniti. Vox Media editorial staff was not involved in the creation or production of this content.

In partnership with Infiniti, The Line examines innovation in the culinary world. With our host — the award-winning chef Curtis Duffy of Chicago’s Michelin-starred Grace — we take a look at the people and ideas shaping the next generation of food and drink.

Over the last decade, Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski have perfected their brand of elevated Cajun cuisine at Cochon — now a New Orleans institution — mastering the art of curing and fermentation, all with an immaculate attention to seasonality. In this video, Stryjewski celebrates ham hocks — the oft forgotten bottom of a pig's leg — by curing, smoking and frying the meat. And below, more on the science behind the curing process.