Collards are a soul food cornerstone — cooked low and slow with smoked meat until they melt in your mouth. The savory broth they create, called "pot likker," is liquid gold; serve it spooned over the greens with cornbread to sop it up.

Ingredients

  • 2 large bunches collard greens
  • 1 smoked turkey leg or ham hock (or smoked bacon)
  • 1 onion, chopped + 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 cups chicken broth + water as needed
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 tsp sugar
  • Red pepper flakes, salt & black pepper

Method

  1. In a large pot, simmer the smoked meat in the broth and a few cups of water for about 45 minutes to build a deep, savory pot likker.
  2. Meanwhile, wash the collards very well (grit hides in the leaves), strip out the tough center stems, and chop into ribbons.
  3. Add the onion, garlic and greens to the pot, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer 45–60 minutes until silky and tender.
  4. Pull the meat off the bone, chop, and return it to the pot.
  5. Season with the vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Serve with plenty of broth and cornbread.

🥬 Wash, wash, wash

Collards trap sand. Fill the sink with cold water, swish the leaves, and lift them out (don't pour, or the grit pours back over them). Repeat until the water runs clear.