Southern
Collard Greens
Collard leaves simmer with a smoked ham hock, onion, garlic, and a splash of vinegar until they are silky. The pot liquor should taste savory, not muddy or bitter.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Cutting the leaves off the thick center rib keeps the simmer from taking hours.
- A smoked ham hock seasons the broth while the greens cook.
- Vinegar at the end brightens greens that can taste flat after a long simmer.
- A covered pot at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, keeps the leaves tender without shredding them.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Rinse the sliced collard greens in a colander and drain them well.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the smoked ham hock and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- 4
Pack in the collard greens. They will look like too much at first and shrink as they wilt. Stir until they fit under the liquid.
- 5
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the leaves are tender, about 50 minutes. Stir once or twice.
- 6
Pull out the ham hock. When it is cool enough to handle, pull off the meat, discard the bone and skin, and chop the meat.
- 7
Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Simmer 5 minutes more, uncovered, and serve with some of the pot liquor.
Pro tips
- Taste a leaf at 40 minutes. Young collards may be done early. Older leaves may need another 10 minutes.
- Add salt at the end. The ham hock and broth are already salty.
- Serve with a slotted spoon if you want mostly greens, or with a ladle if you want the broth.
Easy substitutions
- Smoked ham hock
- 4 oz smoked turkey wing or 4 slices of bacon
- Chicken broth
- Vegetable broth
- Apple cider vinegar
- Hot sauce, to taste, at the table
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days. The greens often taste better the next day.
Reheating
Warm in a covered saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot, about 165°F. Add a splash of water if the pot liquor has thickened.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 152
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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