Collard Greens and Ham Hocks

3 large bunches of collards

3 smoked or country ham hocks

salt and pepper to taste

Now, those of us who are Southern know what a "mess of collards" is.  But, if you don't understand that I wouldn't stink up my kitchen for less than three bunches.  Yes, they do smell somewhat unique but believe me it's worth the bit of air freshener that you spray later.

Place the ham hocks in a large Dutch oven type pot. Add about 3 cups water and "put on to boil". This needs to boil gently for about an hour before you add the greens. You can use this time to clean the collards and cut them up.

Some people leave the stems in their collards but I do not. I remove the large pithy stems and place the leaves in a sink of cold water.  Be sure to look each leaf carefully for critters that may have hitched a ride home with you. Remove any visible dirt from the leaves and place in second sink full of water. Look carefully again and rinse from this water into a THIRD sink of water. Yes, this is busy work... but my grandma washed hers this way. 

Roll the cleaned collard leaves into as many as your hand will hold and cut into strips about an inch wide. Put into the pot with the ham hocks and check the level of the broth. You want just enough to be able to see it bubble thru the leaves once they have wilted.

Cook collards gently until fork tender. This will take at least another hour. Then check for seasonings of salt and pepper. When the meat is fork tender remove from the pot and cut off the fat. Discard the fat and return the lean bits back to the pot.

When ready to serve drain with a slotted spoon into a bowl. If you're truly Southern the pot likker can be put into a cup and served with corn bread.

from the Southern Kitchen of
Rose Abrams