Deep South Collard greens
Description
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Ingredients
- 2 - 3 medium smoked Ham hocks or 2 pounds smoked Pork neck bones
- 5 pounds of collards or several large bunches (If you can't get them
- fresh, frozen will do.
- 2 teaspoon of salt
Procedures
My favorite way to cook collard greens is very simple. I take 2 or 3
smoked Ham hocks and put them in a large (6 quart) pot of water. Bring
the water to a rolling boil and let it boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Add
more water as it boils down. The idea is to boil the Ham hocks until
they begin to fall apart. You should always cook Pork very thoroughly
and use proper food handling techniques. You want the Ham hocks to be
falling apart before you add the collard greens.
Take the collard greens and separate the leaves (if fresh) . Now rinse
each leaf individually under cold running water. After you rinse the
collard greens thoroughly, stack several leaves on top of each other.
Roll these leaves together. Then slice the leaves into thin strips using
a cutting board and large knife. Rolling them together speeds up the
process as you are slicking through several leaves at once.
Next, add your collard greens to the pot. Since this is a lot of
collards, you will need to add them until the pot is full. Then allow
them to wilt as they cook - then add more. Add you salt, cover and cook
for thirty minutes on medium heat. Stir every few minutes to distribute
the smoked meat taste evenly. Taste to confirm they are the tenderness
you prefer. Serve with your favorite meat dish such as chitterlings. Eat
the Ham hocks or neck bones right along with the collards.
If you used frozen collards, simply pour them - frozen - right from the
package to the pot.
If you use smoked neck bones, they usually don't take as long to cook as
Ham hocks.
People in my neck of the woods usually sprinkle lots of hot sauce on
their collards. I like them that way. Give it a try.
Since this is a large pot full, just save the extras in the
refrigerator. They should keep for a long time and actually get better
as the juices settle in.