Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

When you’re craving a comforting, flavorful dish that embodies the center of down-home cooking, look no additional than Southern Soul Meals Collard Greens with Ham Hocks. This beloved traditional is a staple in Southern kitchens, identified for its deep, smoky taste and tender greens cooked to perfection. Braised in a wealthy broth with savory ham hocks, that is greater than only a aspect dish. Greens are an emblem of household gatherings, Sunday dinners, and generations of culinary custom.

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Whether or not you’re a seasoned cook dinner or making an attempt collard greens for the primary time, this recipe brings genuine Southern soul meals to your desk with every scrumptious chew.

Key Substances

• Collard Greens
• Ham Hocks
• Onions
• Garlic
• Creole Seasoning
• Smoked Paprika

What are Ham Hocks/How one can Store/The place to Purchase

Ham hocks are a minimize of pork taken from the joint between the pig’s leg and foot, particularly the realm simply above the ankle and beneath the ham. They comprise a mixture of meat, fats, pores and skin, bone, and connective tissue. Though ham hocks don’t have loads of meat, they’re prized for his or her wealthy taste. When simmered slowly, the meat turns into tender, and the fats and connective tissue add depth to the broth AKA pot likka/pot liquor with the greens.

You have to to buy a smoked ham hock. They’re sometimes offered within the meat part of grocery shops, particularly people who carry pork cuts. When you can’t discover them, attempt a butcher store or a specialty retailer that focuses on Southern or soul meals components.

Select ham hocks which have a very good stability of meat, fats, and pores and skin. They need to really feel agency to the contact. Ham hocks differ in dimension, however they sometimes weigh between 12 ounces to 1.5 kilos. Relying on the quantity of greens you cook dinner, chances are you’ll want 2 ham hocks for seasoning a big pot.

When you don’t wish to use pork, you need to use smoked turkey.

How one can Wash Greens

There’s sometimes a long-running debate on whether or not you utilize bagged, pre-washed greens or normal full stem collards. I at all times suggest you utilize what works for you! The bagged greens are sometimes crammed with a considerable amount of stems and a few individuals complain they don’t have sufficient greens. That is generally true. Once I use them, I be certain that to purchase greater than I feel I’ll want, simply to make sure you account for this.

When you’re utilizing pre-washed, maintain them refrigerated and devour them as quickly as doable, as they have a tendency to spoil quicker than complete, unwashed greens.

Right here’s the way you wash full stem greens:

1. Take away the Stems: Begin by reducing or tearing the leaves away from the robust stems. You’ll be able to fold the leaf in half and slice alongside the stem to take away it, or just tear it away by hand.
2. Rinse Every Leaf: Give every leaf a fast rinse underneath chilly operating water to take away unfastened dust and particles earlier than soaking them.
3. Soak in Chilly Water: Fill a big bowl, basin, or clear sink with chilly water. Submerge the greens and gently swish them round. The dust and grit will sink to the underside of the bowl or sink. Let the greens sit for a couple of minutes to loosen any remaining dust.
4. Rinse and Repeat: Carry the greens out of the water (don’t pour the water out with the greens nonetheless in it, otherwise you’ll dump the dust again on them). Drain and discard the soiled water, then refill the bowl or sink with contemporary chilly water. Repeat the soaking and swishing course of 2-3 instances till the water is obvious and freed from dust.
5. Dry the Greens: After washing, shake off extra water from the leaves. Pat dry.
6. Non-compulsory: For additional cleansing energy, add a splash of white vinegar or a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. This may help take away micro organism and pesticide residues.

How one can Take away Stems

1. Fold the Leaf in Half: Fold every collard inexperienced leaf in half lengthwise alongside the central stem, so each halves are stacked on high of one another with the stem on one aspect.
2. Tear the Leaf Away: Ranging from the bottom of the leaf (the place the stem is thickest), gently pull the leaf away from the stem along with your fingers. Proceed tearing till the whole stem is eliminated.
3. Discard the Stem: As soon as separated, discard the stem or put it aside for inventory if you want.
4. Repeat with All Leaves: Repeat the method for all of the collard leaves earlier than continuing with washing and cooking.

You can even use a pointy knife and minimize alongside both sides of the thick central stem, separating it from the leafy half. You can begin from the bottom and work your approach up towards the highest.

How one can Make Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Detailed measurements and full directions may be discovered within the recipe card on the backside of this put up.

1. Place the ham hock in a pot giant sufficient to suit it together with sufficient water to cowl the ham hock. Deliver the water to a boil. Prepare dinner the ham hock
2. Prep the greens whereas the ham hock softens. Fill a big bowl or your sink with water. Use your fingers and scrub the veins of the leaves to take away any soiled or sand.
3. Take away the stems from the greens and slice the greens into smaller items.
4. Warmth a big pot or Dutch oven on medium warmth. Add olive oil to the pot together with the onions and garlic.
5. Saute the onions and garlic till translucent and aromatic.
6. Deglaze the pan by including broth.
7. Add within the greens, Creole Seasoning, smoked paprika, and ham hocks. Deliver the pot to a boil.
8. Simmer and cook dinner.

What Sort of Pot to Use

You’ll wish to use a pot that’s giant, heavy, and sturdy sufficient to deal with sluggish cooking over low warmth. Listed here are the most effective varieties of pots to make use of:

Dutch Oven: That is what I exploit. A forged iron or enameled Dutch oven is right for making collard greens as a result of it offers even warmth distribution and retains warmth nicely. The heavy lid helps lock in moisture, guaranteeing the greens and ham hocks cook dinner slowly and evenly. A 6 to 8-quart Dutch oven is ideal for a big batch of collard greens.

Massive Stockpot: When you’re making an enormous batch of collard greens, a big stainless-steel or aluminum stockpot works nicely. It offers loads of room for the greens to cook dinner down and for the ham hocks to simmer within the broth. A stockpot of 8 to 10 quarts is often sufficient for giant gathering-sized servings.

How one can Stability the Taste/Make Them Much less Bitter

Including smoky/fat-rich components from the meat helps stability bitterness by including richness and depth to the greens. That is sufficient for me together with my Collard Greens Seasoning recipe. Some individuals nonetheless discover greens to style bitter even with the addition of smoked meat. You’ll be able to attempt including sugar (or sweetener) or vinegar (chances are you’ll solely want a splash) to stability out the flavors. Recent lemon juice works nice as nicely.

Prepare dinner Time and How Lengthy to Prepare dinner

Southern-style collard greens normally take about 2 to three hours to cook dinner on a low simmer. Examine them periodically throughout this time, however don’t rush—greens profit from sluggish cooking to permit the flavors to meld and for the greens to turn out to be tender.

How one can Inform When They Are Executed Cooking

• Fall-Off-The-Bone Meat: The meat ought to be falling off the bone and straightforward to shred. The longer the greens cook dinner, the extra taste the meat will launch into the pot.
• Tender and Smooth: The greens ought to be tender and delicate however not mushy. You must have the ability to simply minimize by the leaves with a fork. When braised or simmered lengthy sufficient, the robust fibers within the collard greens break down, making them delicate and straightforward to chew.
• No Crunch: The greens should not have any uncooked or crunchy texture remaining. When you chew into them and so they nonetheless really feel robust or fibrous, they want extra time to cook dinner.

How one can Make Them in Advance/How one can Retailer

Greens are nice to make prematurely. I at all times cook dinner these the evening earlier than an enormous vacation to get them out of the best way. You’ll be able to retailer cooked greens within the fridge tightly coated and sealed.

If you wish to wash your greens forward of time, and cook dinner them later, retailer the washed and dried greens in an hermetic container or a resealable plastic bag lined with paper towels. The paper towels assist soak up extra moisture, preserving the greens more energizing for longer.

Washed greens will sometimes keep contemporary within the fridge for 1 to 2 days. After that, they might begin to wilt or lose their crispness.

How one can Reheat

You’ll be able to reheat these within the microwave or on the range. When you want further moisture, add in some broth to maintain the greens tender.

Freezer Ideas

You’ll be able to freeze leftovers tightly coated and sealed for 3-4 months.

Pair With These Southern Soul Meals Favorites

Southern Soul Meals Cornbread
Southern Soul Meals Candied Candy Potatoes
Southern Cornbread Dressing with Rooster
Southern Soul Meals Baked Mac and Cheese
Gradual Cooker Crockpot Turkey Breast
Cajun Turkey Recipe

Extra Collard Inexperienced Recipes

Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Gradual Cooker Crockpot Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Sauteed Collard Greens
Combined Greens with Collard and Turnips
Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
On the spot Pot Collard Greens