Collard Greens

Cooking Instructions

Scrub and clean your ham hock with a vegetable brush under cold running water. Place it in a pot with cold water to cover. Add the crushed red chiles, put on the lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, 5 minutes to 1 hour. add more water if necessary.

During this time you can be washing your greens. collards have such large leaves that they need to be prepared in one of several ways. One is to fold a bunch in half, then fold again and cut; then again, until you have pieces of a palatable size. Another way is to slide a knife down the main stem to remove the leaves and then tear them up or cook them whole and chop them up in the pot when they're done.

When the hock is done, add the greens and remaining ingredients to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, which usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally during this time. Season to taste.

Created by Chef Tony Tillman