Collard Greens with Ham Hock

Collard greens and ham hock, a great Southern tradition and delicious over rice and with a side of corn bread. Photo by Arlie Sommer

The large size of the leaves of collard greens really stand out at the farm. This plant is a provider, giving us multiple harvests before finally going to seed later in the summer.

In early America, particularly in the South, collard greens were cooked for hours with ham hocks, salt pork or bacon. This recipe is pretty on par with that tradition. It was adapted from the “David Tanis Market Cooking,” cookbook.

In addition to collard greens, chard, mustards or kale can also be used, or a mixture of all. We’ve also used Purple Sage Farms smoked and dried sweet Italian peppers and dried cayenne peppers, which are available on our website.

This recipe makes six to eight servings and can be easily stored in the refrigerator and reheated.

INGREDients

2 T butter

2 large onions, diced

Salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 T tomato paste

1 t mustard powder

1 T smoked and dried sweet Italian peppers, crushed with mortar and pestle

1/8 t dried cayenne peppers, crushed with mortar and pestle

1 smoked ham hock or a piece of slab bacon

4 c water

4 lb greens, such as collards, kale, chard, and mustard, washed and roughly chopped into 2-in-wide strips

1 T apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the garlic, tomato paste, mustard powder, and crushed dried peppers, stir to coat, and cook for another minute. Add the ham hock and water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer and cook for an hour.

Step 3

Add the collards or other mixed greens by the handfuls, pushing down to submerge in the liquid and cook for another hour or till meat is falling off the bone. Taste the broth for salt and adjust as needed—you may not need much because ham hocks are quite salty. Then, add the vinegar. Serve hot with ample broth. Cornbread on the side completes this traditional Southern dish.

Collard greens are number ten on the CDC list of Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables with a nutrient-density rating of 62.49. Photo by Arlie Sommer