Collards or collard greens, a close relative of cabbage and broccoli, are a cornerstone of Southern U.S. cuisine. Known for their large leaves, upright stems, and slightly bitter flavour, collard greens are often regarded as a superfood. They have a significant vitamin and mineral content while remaining low in calories, making them both nutritious and delicious. In fact, collard greens were also on the menu at President Barack Obama’s first state dinner.
Traditionally, collard greens have been prepared in ways that reflected a family’s financial situation. The simplest method involves frying the greens in fat, seasoning them with salt and pepper, and slow-cooking them for at least two hours—a technique somewhat similar to preparing spinach.
In Europe, collard greens are less common, except in Portugal, they are the main ingredient of the “caldo verde” soup. While kale, which requires a shorter cooking time, can be used as a substitute but it lacks the specific bitterness of collard greens.
Elvis Presley grew up in a predominantly Black community, where poverty was a shared reality. Collard greens were a regular part of his meals, almost every culinary recollection about Elvis mentions dishes featuring this Southern staple. In honour of Elvis and the rich Southern culture, collard greens deserve a spot in any gastronomic tribute to his life. Even though this vegetable is harder to find in Europe, it remains an essential ingredient in Southern cooking. Below, I’m sharing an original recipe for collard greens, unchanged.
Southern-Style Collard Greens with hock
Collards or collard greens, a close relative of cabbage and broccoli, are a cornerstone of Southern U.S. cuisine. Known for their large leaves, upright stems, and slightly bitter flavour, collard greens are often regarded as a superfood. In Europe, collard greens are less common, except in Portugal, they are the main ingredient of the "caldo verde" soup. While kale, which requires a shorter cooking time, can be used as a substitute but it lacks the specific bitterness of collard greens.
Ingredients
Preparation
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Wash the hock and boil it with onion, garlic, peppercorns, chicken stock cube or stock. Simmer it slowly until the meat falls off the bone. It can take up to 2 hours.
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Remove the meat, take the bone out and cut the meat into pieces, then set aside
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Wash the collard greens or kale and cut the thick middle stem out the leaf. Cut the leaves into thin strips.
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Add the leaves to the broth, season with apple cider vinegar and sugar and cook for another 2 hours, until the leaves are completely soft.
If you make it from kale, the cooking time is shorter, just wait until it is soft. Do not add salt, because after cooking the hock, the broth may be salty enough already. Do not cover the pot during cooking. This dish should be like a thick soup so allow the water to evaporate.
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When the collard are soft put the meat back into the broth. Serve it with some cornbread.
