Southern Style Collard Greens
4-6 Servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 2 Hrs
Total time: 2 Hrs + 10 min
Adapted from Simply Recipes
There are many different versions of how to prepare southern collard greens, but this one offers a deep, savory flavor and a smoky, mineral-rich broth you can reuse for a nutritionally delicious supplement to other dishes.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or oil
1 medium onion, sliced from root to tip
1 ham hock (or use extra firm tofu, or beans to make vegan)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 to 2 cups water
8 to 10 cups (about 2 pounds) stemmed, cleaned, and chopped collard greens
Kosher salt to taste
Vinegar and hot sauce to taste
Instructions
Heat the bacon fat in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion in the bacon fat, stirring often, until the edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the ham hock, smashed garlic, chicken stock, and water, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
Add the collard greens and cook, partially covered, until they are tender, another 45 minutes to an hour.
To serve, remove the ham hock, pull the meat off the bones, and chop. Mix the meat back with the greens.
Taste and season with salt, if needed. Serve with vinegar and hot sauce at the table.
Notes:
While you can make this recipe with chard, kale, or mustard greens, they cook much more quickly than collards, so cut the cooking time to 30 minutes.
If using dried beans, soak them first and then add to the vegetable stock + water to cook. If using canned/prepared beans, add them in after the collard greens have softened to warm.
