Deep South Collard greens

Description
.

Ingredients

 * 2 - 3 medium smoked ham hocks or 2 pounds smoked pork neck bones
 * 5 pounds of collards or several large bunches (If you can't get them
 * fresh, frozen will do.
 * 2 teaspoon of salt

Directions
My favorite way to cook collard greens is very simple. I take 2 or 3

smoked ham hocks and put them in a large (6 quart) pot of water. Bring

the water to a rolling boil and let it boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Add

more water as it boils down. The idea is to boil the ham hocks until

they begin to fall apart. You should always cook pork very thoroughly

and use proper food handling techniques. You want the ham hocks to be

falling apart before you add the collard greens.

Take the collard greens and separate the leaves (if fresh). Now rinse

each leaf individually under cold running water. After you rinse the

collard greens thoroughly, stack several leaves on top of each other.

Roll these leaves together. Then slice the leaves into thin strips using

a cutting board and large knife. Rolling them together speeds up the

process as you are slicking through several leaves at once.

Next, add your collard greens to the pot. Since this is a lot of

collards, you will need to add them until the pot is full. Then allow

them to wilt as they cook - then add more. Add you salt, cover and cook

for thirty minutes on medium heat. Stir every few minutes to distribute

the smoked meat taste evenly. Taste to confirm they are the tenderness

you prefer. Serve with your favorite meat dish such as chitterlings. Eat

the ham hocks or neck bones right along with the collards.

If you used frozen collards, simply pour them - frozen - right from the

package to the pot.

If you use smoked neck bones, they usually don't take as long to cook as

ham hocks.

People in my neck of the woods usually sprinkle lots of hot sauce on

their collards. I like them that way. Give it a try.

Since this is a large pot full, just save the extras in the

refrigerator. They should keep for a long time and actually get better

as the juices settle in.