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New Year's: Southern Collard Greens

Source of Recipe


From "Consuming Passions: A Food-Obsessed Life" by Michael Lee West



List of Ingredients



• 2 tsp sugar
  
• Smoked ham hock
  
• 3 to 4 pounds collard greens
  
• 1 dried hot red-pepper pod, whole
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  






Instructions



1. The first step is to fill a large pot with 3 quarts of cold water. Add the sugar and ham hock. Boil 40 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, wash the greens three times, changing the water each time. Lift the collards from the sink rather than letting the water drain out. After the third rinsing, if the bottom of the sink is still gritty, rinse the greens again. Pull off the stems. Then, stacking the leaves, roll them. Cut into 2-inch slices.
   
   
3. Put collards in the pot with the ham hocks. The pot will be overflowing with greens, but don't worry -- the greens will rapidly wilt. Add the hot-pepper pod and salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 1 hour. Remove ham hock -- bits of meat will fall into the greens; the more the better, but discard the fat. Serve with corn bread, which is always best baked in a cast-iron pan.
   
   Makes 4 to 6 servings.