Collards

Excellent dish! However, we did change it up a bit. It was New Year's Eve and the grocery store was out of ham hocks (and black-eyed peas, too but that's a different story) so I bought country ham pieces--the small package of thinly sliced country ham and advertised as "for seasoning." We've been trying Keto so I began saving and keeping my bacon grease in a glass jar a few months ago rather than throwing it away just as I remember my southern grandmother did. Rather than cooking more bacon, I used a tablespoon or so of our reserved bacon grease to saute the country ham (sliced in into 1/4" strips). Removed the country ham and sauteed about 1/2 of a chopped onion and a large chopped shallot in the same pan--may have added another tablespoon of bacon grease. Next, I steam sauteed the collards in the same pan for a few minutes until they had cooked down slightly--added the reserved country ham, red pepper flakes, and a small amount of salt (country ham is salty on its own). Covered the collards with enough chicken broth to cover and cooked for about 90 minutes. Turned off the pan and reheated when we were ready to reheat for about 10 minutes more. OMG were these delicious. The following day, I added to the Sea Island red peas we made on the side for a collards and red pea soup.

• thehubers

• Cincinnati

• 1/5/2019

Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe to the T, but I'm sorry, grandmother and mother have brainwashed me into thinking I have to add a pinch of sugar! And who on earth out there doesn't like the smell of cooking collards permeating the house? There should be a Yankee candle! :-D

• akaveroni

• Virginia Beach

• 11/23/2016

Good basic recipe, but two hours is way too long to cook collards. I omitted the ham bone, used chicken stock instead of water, and cooked the collards for about 10 minutes. Excellent.

• curi

• Raleigh, NC

• 1/4/2015

I love in the south but my family did not pass down it southern cooking heritage, so I've struck out on my own to find those recipes to be truly indicative of good southern cooking. Is recipe is the real deal. No muss, no fuss. No doctoring up with sugar, vinegar or hot sauce. Good as is! I've made this recipe to raves so many year in a row now I almost don't need to reference the recipe!

• Anonymous

• Athens, GA

• 1/1/2015

I made this recipe twice, once as written and the next time taking liberties per our preferences. I used all turkey bacon - whole package of Applewood Farms, diced, and Sriracha in place of red chili flakes. This is a new favorite just in time for the cold winter. Thank you Epicurious!

• mbcb

• Lansdowne, PA

• 10/22/2014

Excellent! Will make these again. Very easy.

• kathryncrist

• Frederick, MD

• 7/4/2014

Simple, easy, and DELICIOUS as it! It is worth waiting two hours. I am from Virginia...tastes just Grandma's. I keep a bag or two of frozen collards in the freezer, and sometimes substitute 1/2 teaspoon Goya ham flavored seasoning for the ham bone. Still tastes great.

• ElaineCauley

• Leesburg, VA

• 3/1/2014

Two hours did the trick. I just used some frozen ham broth from a honey baked ham boil I did a while ago, and some real bacon bits from the jar (less fat) and it was perfect, no added salt or onion needed. I think regardless of what you cook it with (as long as it is pork of some kind or another :), the two hours makes it just right. And a pound of the raw greens is just right for 2 people as a side dish.

• justmitz

• redmond, wa

• 5/9/2013

I am from the Pacific Northwest and had never even seen a collard before we got some with our CSA share (I had to ask what they were). So, I do not have the real "legit" advice, BUT I followed this recipe as closely as I could. I am not really sure what a ham hock is (sorry - dumb I guess) and the grocery store didn't seem to have them, or I wasn't looking in the right place, so I tripled the bacon and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. We had visitors from Virginia and they said they were surprised to see me cooking collards. I told them I had no idea what I was doing and they said they looked and tasted right - yay! I, personally, couldn't stop eating them. I could eat an entire plate of these for dinner alone. Yum!!

• Anonymous

• Delaware

• 6/7/2011

This was my grandmother signature dish. I loved her collard greens. I never got her recipe but could remember the ingredients. I was using the same ingredients but in the wrong order. I cook my greens with a ham hock but don't add onion. I was also cooking the bacon and pouring the bacon grease in after the greens were at a boil. Greens without bacon grease are not real greens. I will try it this way next time I cook collard greens.

• Anonymous

• Homosassa, FL

• 10/2/2010

Amazing. This is how collards were meant to be. Followed the recipe exactly. I didn't really see what the big deal was about the smell, it just smelled like my grandma's kitchen growing up. And that is always a good thing. This will be my new staple recipe for collards.

• lindseytea

• Asheville, NC

• 2/1/2010

冒昧的法案,那些不莱克阀门e the smell of collards cooking probably won't like collards--and four pecans in the pot ain't gonna make that dog hunt--or smell like a rose. As a southerner--and a fan of collards, I'd recommend skipping Bill's bacon shortcut and going instead with a few smoked ham hocks, in a big pot of water, simmered for a few hours, until the meat on hocks is fork tender. Remove the hocks, add the collards to the pot and cook for two hours. When the hocks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat and any fat, chop the meat coarsely and put the fat in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add one chopped medium onion--as the onions soften, add the chopped meat and stir frequently until the meat and onions are just starting to brown. Remove the collards from the pot liquor with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander and then chop and add to the meat and onions in saute pan, stir to blend, sprinkle on a few drops of vinegar. Save the pot liquor to cook your black eyed peas in

• write4work

• Chapel Hill, NC

• 12/27/2009

I really enjoy the simplicity of this recipe. No fooling with sugar or vinegar. The sweetness of the onions and the smokiness of the bacon cut the bitterness of the collards completely out. I have made this recipe several times and have been pleased with the results.

• Anonymous

• Athens, GA

• 1/3/2009

Want to thank Cook from Atlanta for the Collard Greens with Red Onion and Bacon recommendation. I AM from the south (Atlanta actually), and these were absolutely the best collards I have ever had-they have this terrific tanginess to them which completely overrides the bitterness that you can get from them. As someone who always likes to try different recipes, I think this one might be it where collards are concerned. I made them with Emeril's Smoked Sausage and Black- Eyed Peas recipe...what a great start to the year!

• FoodieJoyce

• Los Angeles, CA

• 1/2/2008

The best collards I have ever had is another recipe on this site: http://www.epicuriou s.com/recipes/food/v iews/13471. I am not from the south, but live in Atlanta now and have made this recipe to rave Southern reviews. In case the link does not work, it is the Collard Greens with Red Onion and Bacon - highly recommended!!!

• Anonymous

• Atlanta, GA

• 12/28/2007