Eastern Nc Collard Greens

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3 smoked ham hocks
• 2 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt, heaping
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, heaping
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 5 lbs collard greens, washed, stringed & torn (keep large ribs snapped in 3 inch lengths to one side)

Recipe

• 1 using large nonreactive pot, bring water, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes & ham hocks to a boil.
• 2 reduce heat to simmer, cover pot & simmer 2 hours until ham hocks are falling apart.
• 3 cool liquid & ham hocks.
• 4 pick bones from meat & skin - chop both roughly & return to pot.
• 5 bring liquid to simmer & lay the collard stalks in the bottom of the pot. next layer in the torn leaves, putting the largest, thickest on the bottom above the stalks & finish with the tender innermost leaves. there should be about 4 cups of liquid in the bottom of the pot - not all the leaves are submerged!
• 6 gently braise collards with lid on pot for an hour. low heat is key - high heat causes release of sulfur compounds (as same other members of brassicaciae family -cabbage, broccoli), stirring occasionally.
• 7 expect the leaves to initially brighten & then slowly turn a dark forest green - and smell really good!
• 8 add additional heat with pickled peppers or texas pete (made in nc) hot sauce & vinegar as you wish at the table - mmmmmm good! freezes well in freezer bags.