About this recipe

A soul-warming Southern classic — tender collard greens slow-simmered with smoky ham hocks, aromatics, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for a perfect balance of savory, smoky, and tangy. This is the kind of dish that fills the whole house with incredible aroma and tastes even better the next day. Simple, honest, and deeply satisfying.

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the collard greens: Rinse each leaf thoroughly under ^[cold water]. Fold each leaf in half lengthwise and strip or cut away the tough center stem. Stack the leaves and slice them into roughly 1-inch strips. Set aside.

2. 2

   In a large pot, heat the olive oil over ^[medium heat]. Add the diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the minced garlic (and red pepper flakes if using) to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Nestle the smoked ham hock into the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil over ^[high heat], then reduce to a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes to start building a flavorful broth.

5. 5

   Add the collard greens to the pot in large handfuls, using tongs to press them down and stir them in as they wilt. They will look like a lot at first — keep adding and stirring until all the greens are in the pot.

6. 6

   Stir in the apple cider vinegar, sugar (if using), kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring back to a simmer, then cover the pot and cook on ^[low heat] for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the greens are very tender and silky and the broth (the 'pot likker') is rich and flavorful.

7. 7

   Remove the smoked ham hock. Once cool enough to handle, pull any meat from the bone, shred it, and stir it back into the greens. Discard the bone and skin.

8. 8

   Taste and adjust seasoning — add more kosher salt, black pepper, or a splash more apple cider vinegar as needed. Serve hot with cornbread for soaking up the pot likker.