Southern Styled Collard Greens
This recipe offers a traditional Southern side dish featuring tender collard greens infused with the rich, smoky flavor of a turkey leg or ham hock. The collard greens are thoroughly cleaned, chopped, and combined with the smoked meat and seasonings in a large pot simmered for 1 - 2 hours. This slow-cooking process allows the flavors to meld, resulting in tender, savory collard greens that embody Southern comfort food. Often enjoyed with cornbread, these greens are a staple at Sunday dinners, holiday gatherings, and soul food feasts. Packed with nutrients and bold Southern flavors, this dish is a must-try for anyone craving authentic home-cooked goodness.
Ingredients
- 2 Bundles Collards
- 1 Turkey Leg or Ham Hock
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 dash liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 2 teaspoon vinegar I used apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
Instructions
- In a large pot, add your smoked turkey leg and cover with water or chicken stock. Start boiling for 30 to 45 minutes
- Dice half an onion
- Take your collards and remove the stems
- Roll several (4-5) leaves together and cut your leaves into even pieces
- Add your cut collard greens to a bowl and rinse with water. Move collard greens to an empty, clean bowl and rinse off again. Repeat process until water remains clean after rinsing.
- Add all ingredients(onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, smoked paprika, vinegar, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes) in your pot with the smoked turkey leg
- Add additional chicken stock or water if needed. Should almost cover greens.
- Cook for 1-2 hours depending on your tenderness preference. I usually go for 2 hours. Your turkey leg should be tender about half way through so shred some of the meat to spread throughout the greens.
- Add in ¼ stick(2 tbsp) butter right at the end as you turn your heat off and give a good stir.