Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Method

1. Prep no grit left

   Day one. Wash the greens well. Grit hides in the folds and there is no fixing it later.

2. Prep 1-inch ribbons

   Cut them into ribbons. Halve each leaf lengthwise along the stem, stack, and cut across into 1-inch ribbons. Leave the stems in. Stripping them out is wasted work: four hours renders them tender and they give the potlikker body.

3. Heat fragrant, pale gold

   Infuse the oil. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot over low-medium. Add the smashed garlic and the pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Do not let them color past pale gold; burnt garlic will haunt the whole pot.

4. Sear real color on all sides

   Brown the hocks. Add the ham hocks and fry until they take on real color on all sides. This is where the smoke and the fat get into the base.

5. Assemble all collards in

   Wilt the collards in, a few handfuls at a time. Add, press down, let them collapse, add more. Keep going until all the collards are in. It will look impossible until suddenly it does not. Hold the mustard greens back for now.

6. Assemble covered

   Cover with stock. Then add the cup of vinegar, the black pepper, and a few strong pinches of salt. Go easy: the hocks and the stock are both already salty, and the pot is going to reduce for hours.

7. Simmer 4-5 hours · silky

   Simmer low, 4 to 5 hours. A bare simmer, never a boil. Taste every hour for vinegar, salt and pepper, and adjust gently — everything concentrates. Top up once or twice along the way with warm stock, not water, so the greens never sit above the liquid. Add the mustard greens in the last hour: they break down far faster than collards, and an hour is enough to give the liquid their pepper while some of the leaf survives.

8. Prep 2 hours · shredded

   Pull the hocks at about 2 hours. Take them out, shred the meat off, discard the bones and the fat, and return the meat to the pot. It is far easier than fishing bones out of a finished pot, and the meat stops overcooking.

9. Chill overnight · cold

   Cool it, then refrigerate overnight. Split it into shallow containers rather than leaving the whole pot on the stove; a full stockpot holds heat for hours. Recombine tomorrow.

10. Heat 3 hours before serving · vinegar forward

    Day two. Three hours before serving, bring it back on low and check the seasoning. You want it vinegar forward at this point, since the acid softens as it warms.

11. Finish 1 hour before serving · wilted away

    One hour before serving, stir in the whole box of baby spinach. It will vanish into the pot and sweeten the liquid.

    60m
12. Finish seasoned

    Right before serving, a few turns of black pepper, ¼ cup of vinegar, and a pinch of salt. This is the adjustment that matters most; the rest was building the base.