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A large stock pot filled with Southern greens with ham hocks and chopped onions.
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4.50 / 4 votes

Southern Greens with Ham Hocks

These Southern greens with ham hocks are coaxed to enticingness by slowly simmering sturdy greens such as collards, kale, chard, and mustard greens with ham hocks or bacon, onions, and spices until meltingly tender.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 319

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 (about 1 lb) smoked ham hock or a piece of slab bacon
  • 4 to 6 cups water
  • 4 pounds mixed cooking greens, such as collards, kale, chard, and mustard greens, tough stems discarded, washed and roughly chopped into 2-inch-wide (5-cm) strips
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, mustard powder crushed red pepper, cayenne, and paprika, and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the ham hock and water and bring to a boil. Adding more water will result in more pot liquor, which some people simply can’t get enough of!
  • Add the greens a handful at a time, pushing them down with a wooden spoon to help them wilt into the liquid. When all the greens are in the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the greens are very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Taste the broth adjust seasoning as needed, then stir in the vinegar.
  • Serve immediately. The cooked greens will keep, refrigerated in their liquid, for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

Notes

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Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 460mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g