Greens
Writing this recipe proved a little tricky because I usually cook by feel and I don’t measure ingredients out. This is especially the case with greens. I invite you to do a lot of tasting, supplementing and shifting to make this dish uniquely yours.
The amount of water you use in the beginning is what will become your delicious potlikker, so I like to use enough so that I have enough broth left over to drink. Adding additional seasoning of your choice only enhances the already delicious flavor of the pot likker, so taste the broth first. You will notice the smoky, meaty flavor, and the strength of the collards. Now, what seasonings come to mind for you? This is what makes your greens unique. You could use garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, or pepper. Or you can get creative and use a chutney, relish, or even a little bit of sugar. I typically do pink himalayan salt, garlic powder, onion powder, small bits of sun dried tomatoes, sweet peppers, and of course, my mom’s secret ingredient—sorry, I can’t tell you!
Seasoning tip: start small with the seasonings, and taste after each addition. If you feel like the broth needs more flavor, add a tiny bit more and repeat until it tastes to your liking.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
2 ham hocks
4 bundles of collard greens
2 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
Preferred seasonings
Directions
Fill a large, heavy pot ⅔ full with water and bring to a simmer.
Peel the onion and chop in half. Mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic and ham hocks to the water and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat easily comes off the bone.
While the meat simmers, clean out your sink and fill it with cool water. Then chop or rip the greens into medium sized bits and put them in the sink full of cool water. Wash by vigorously swishing the greens in the water for a couple of minutes. (Make sure they’re rubbing up against each other. Agitate them almost like you’re hand washing laundry.) Remove the greens, drain the dirty water and repeat.
Once meat is falling off the bone, add the greens to the pot. They may not all fit at once; if so, just wait 5 minutes for the first batch to cook down, then keep adding more greens until they’re all in.
Cook for 15 minutes and then season with salt and any other preferred seasoning. Add in butter as the greens cook down.
Once the greens are cooked down so that they are soft, but still have a nice bite to them (about 45 minutes), they are finished and ready to serve!
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