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Thanksgiving: Southern-Style Collard Greens

Source of Recipe

"The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"This Southern recipe is made by braising collard greens with a salty smoked pork product. Over a long cooking time, the pork and greens intermingle and turn the cooking water into a supersavory pot liquor (or 'pot likker'). We found that two smoked ham hocks provided the best deeply smoky pork flavor. Plus, after a long braising time, it was easy to pull the savory little chunks of meat off the hocks to add back to the greens. If you can't find ham hocks, you can substitute six slices of bacon and 3 ounces of ham steak cut into ½-inch pieces. Be sure to remove the rind from the ham before cutting it into pieces. Add the bacon and ham in place of the ham hocks in step 2, but discard the bacon before serving. Do not drain off the cooking liquid before serving. This flavorful, savory pot liquor should be sipped while eating the collards. Any leftover pot liquor can be used as a soup base."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 pounds collard greens
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 6 cups water
â—¦ 2 (12-ounce) smoked ham hocks
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
â—¦ 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
â—¦ 2 teaspoons sugar
â—¦ â…› teaspoon red pepper flakes
â—¦ Hot sauce


Recipe

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Trim collard stems to base of leaves; discard trimmings. Cut leaves into roughly 2-inch pieces. Place collard greens in large bowl and cover with water. Swish with your hand to remove grit. Repeat with fresh water, as needed, until grit no longer appears in bottom of bowl. Remove collard greens from water and set aside (you needn't dry them).

Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add water, ham hocks, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes and bring to boil over high heat. Add collard greens (pot may be full) and stir until collard greens wilt slightly, about 1 minute. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until collard greens are very tender, about 1 ½ hours.

Transfer ham hocks to cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove meat from ham hocks, chop, and return to pot; discard skin and bones. Season collard greens with salt to taste. Serve with hot sauce.

Serves 6 to 8