Description
Collard greens and ham hocks are more than just a Southern side dish—they’re a whole experience. Whether it’s a holiday spread, a laid-back Sunday supper, or just a random Wednesday when you’re craving something soulful, this dish has a way of bringing people together. It’s rich, smoky, and full of comfort.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (or bacon grease)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds fresh collard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
- ¾ to 1 pound smoked ham hock
- 1½ to 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Place the smoked ham hock in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover it with water and bring it to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the ham hock is simmering, wash the collard greens thoroughly, soak in cold water with vinegar, and rinse until clean. Strip the stems and chop the leaves.
- In the same pot, heat olive oil (or bacon grease) and sauté the chopped onions for 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth (or water) and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir to combine.
- Add collard greens in batches, stirring until each batch wilts down before adding more.
- Once all greens are in, nestle the ham hock back into the center, sprinkle with Creole seasoning, and cover the pot. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Once the meat falls off the bone, shred the ham hock meat, discarding the fat and bone. Stir the shredded meat back into the greens.
- Adjust seasoning with sugar or vinegar as desired and serve.
Notes
For a more tender result, you can simmer the greens for up to 3 hours. If you want to balance bitterness, add a pinch of sugar or a splash of vinegar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: collard greens, ham hocks, Southern comfort food, soul food