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Southern Collard Greens

Source of Recipe


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



List of Ingredients



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






Instructions



1. The first step is to fill a large pot with three quarts of cold water. Add the sugar and ham hock. Boil 40 minutes. If your kitchen is like Miss Johnnie's and mine, your windows will steam up. Remember that plants flourish in a kitchen where collards are cooked.
   
   
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 red-pepper pod and salt and 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