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Braised Collards with Chopped Ham Hocks

Source of Recipe

From "The New Orleans Kitchen" by Justin Devillier


Recipe Introduction

"Greens in general (collards, mustards, turnips, etcetera) are a staple of Southern cooking, so it's only natural that as a Southern transplant, I learned how to cook them. Tough greens like these are traditionally slow-cooked in a very porky, smoky, flavorful broth called potlikker to mellow their bitter flavor and soften their fibrous texture and are served in that broth with the whole ham bone or hock intact. There's no occasion necessary—greens are just always on the table. My variation is to chop up the cooked hock into fine pieces, and spread it across the greens, which enhances the flavor and gives the dish an unexpectedly rich, meaty texture. And it ensures everyone gets a few bites of meat, as opposed to fighting over a whole bone. While I use collards in this recipe, the same technique can be applied to cooking mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, cabbage, beet tops, Swiss chard, and any other tough green you come across."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  1 tablespoon canola oil
â—¦  1 pound smoked ham hocks
â—¦  2 cups small-diced onions
â—¦  1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
â—¦  1 cup beer, such as ale
â—¦  2 quarts chicken stock or water
â—¦  1 ¼ pounds collard greens, well washed and coarsely chopped
â—¦  1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar


Recipe

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the ham hocks and sear as evenly as possible on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes.

Transfer the hocks to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onions are evenly browned and super-soft, 10 to 12 minutes total. Add the beer and reduce until almost completely evaporated, about 20 minutes. Add the stock or water and one-fourth of the greens. Return the hocks to the pan, nestling them in the greens, so they steam. Let the greens wilt enough to make room in the pan for another one-fourth, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the next batch of greens and repeat until all of the greens are in the pot.

Decrease the heat to a low simmer, partially cover the pan, and cook until you're able to easily pull the meat off the ham hocks, about 1 hour. Again, transfer the hocks to a plate and set aside to cool while you continue simmering the greens. When the hocks are cool enough to handle, pull off all of the meat, fat, and skin, and discard the bones. Coarsely chop the pork into small pieces and return them to the pan. Stir and simmer the greens for another 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the vinegar.

Serve the greens and pork with a few spoonfuls of the flavorful potlikker. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings