SERVES 6 – 8
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 2 – 3 hours
Those in the know recommend serving Collard Greens with cornbread or macaroni cheese. I served it with mac n cheese and spicy Southern Chicken.
INGREDIENTS
1 smoked free range ham hock
450g kale, stalks removed and chopped medium fine
1 large onion finely sliced
6 bay leaves
1 T spicy paprika or chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
2 T garlic powder
1 T brown sugar
1 – 2 t salt depending on your taste buds.
Boiling water to cover
⅓ c Worcestershire sauce
⅓ c cider vinegar
¼ c maple syrup
5 c boiling water
METHOD
Nestle ham hock, onion, and bay leaves in the bottom of your Ironclad Old Dutch Pot. Sprinkle over the paprika, garlic powder, sugar and half the salt.
Cover with boiling water and simmer with the pot lid slightly ajar until the pork is falling off the bone. About an hour.
Remove the ham hock from the pot. The liquid will have reduced significantly. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and maple syrup then add 5 c boiling water. Have a taste of the liquid. Do you want to add the other teaspoon of salt? Is it spicy enough? Tangy enough? It’s up to your taste buds.
Fill pot with greens, place hock on top and simmer very gently for 1 hour with the lid on for the first 15 minutes then off for the remaining 45 mins. You can simmer for longer if you like your greens mushier. If you choose to simmer for 2 hours make sure you pop the lid back on so all the liquid doesn’t dry out.
Remove the fat from the hock. Shred the pork meat, pull out the bones and gently stir. Have another taste, and adjust the seasoning accordingly. It should be a delicious balance of savoury, smoky, salty, spicy and a little bit sweet deliciousness!
Serve the whole pot steaming hot to the table and get ready to melt into Southern Comfort Goodness.