Southern Collard Greens Recipe

No ratings yet

Tender Southern collard greens simmered with smoky ham hock, onion, garlic, and chicken stock — ready in just 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings:

Calories: 485kcal

Author: Sally

Wash each leaf thoroughly under cold water. Cut out the center thick stem. Chop greens into bite-sized pieces.
Melt butter in Dutch oven or large pot on low-medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook until softened and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
Turn heat up to medium and add the ham hock to the pan. Sear on both sides until some juices are released and hock is a bit browned.
Add the chopped collard greens to the pot on top of the ham hock along with the stock. Stir, turn heat up to start the wilting process of the greens. Turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
After cook time, remove ham hock to a large plate to cool. Taste the greens and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Pull ham off bone and add to the greens in the pot. Reheat if necessary and serve hot.

Shred the ham hock after slightly cooling by using your hands (my favorite method) to separate the meat from any fat you don't want to include. You can also use two forks to pull the meat off and apart.
If your greens are bitter, you can add just a dash of apple cider or red wine vinegar after tasting. Not too much, or your greens will be vinegary - you're aim is not to make it taste like vinegar - just mellow any bitterness that may be there.
To adjust the seasoning at the end, simply taste a leaf or two to see if the greens are tough or tender, pleasant tasting vs bitter, salted enough or needs more. If they need more cook time, simply close the lid and turn the heat to medium and cook another 10-20 minutes. Salt as needed according to your preference.