Every time I make a pot of these greens, it feels like cheating. I make them pretty often for potlucks and gatherings, and everyone always wants to know “my secret”, as if there is some special, sneaky method to make this dish work. The truth is I simply make the dish as it had been made throughout history – with smoked, lesser cuts like ham hocks or neck bones, some liquid, and a bit of cider vinegar – and let the flavors develop on their own time. But I think that in today’s age of canned greens, crock-pot greens, or greens made with bacon (the worst!), people’s expectations of how greens taste have changed. Instead of knowing how greens should taste, we’ve become content with how they typically taste. I think of it like how a quality, handmade cheeseburger runs laps around a Big Mac.
So this week’s recipe will definitely be making it into my upcoming cookbook, and only slightly tweaked from when I first published it in The Ancestral Table, because not much has changed when it comes to these classic flavors. Many recipes you find will insist you add sugar to the greens, to take away some of the bitterness of the greens, or the tanginess of the vinegar, and I disagree; since greens are typically part of a whole meal, I let the other dishes complement the sharp flavor of the greens – that way you’re encouraged to have a little greens with every bite. Our favorite accompaniments to these greens are something with a crunch texture, like Seasoned Southern Fried Chicken, and something with a mild flavor, like Mashed Potatoes.
Here’s my writeup from The Ancestral Table: Greens were popular in the early American South when slaves were forced to survive on kitchen scraps like the tops of vegetables and undesirable pork parts, like ham hocks, necks, and feet. Today, the dish has been refined and remains a favorite in many Southern kitchens. In fact, collard greens are the state vegetable of South Carolina.
This recipe is unlike many typical greens recipes, which often add pork or bacon pieces in small portions or as an afterthought; this dish celebrates the savory nature of pork by using both broth and a significant amount of pork. If you aren’t able to find smoked ham hocks or neck bones, unsmoked varieties will do—just be sure to add 2 tsp. liquid smoke when adding the greens to the pot. Alternatively, you can buy smoked turkey necks or smoked turkey wings.
Mixed Greens (Gluten-free, Primal, Paleo, Perfect Health Diet, Whole30)
2 lbs smoked ham hocks, neck bones, turkey necks, or turkey wings (or combination)
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 lbs collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, flat-leaf (Lacinato/dino) kale, or a combination, coarsely chopped with stems intact
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
black pepper to taste
vinegar-based hot sauce (Tabasco or Crystal) to taste
1. Combine the smoked meats, water, and stock in a stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a boil over high heat then cover and reduce heat to medium-low; gently simmer for 1 hour. Add the greens, red pepper flakes, and vinegar; if you run out of space to fit all of the greens, add more as they wilt and reduce in size. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the leaves are dark green and tear very easily, about 2 to 3 more hours.
2. Fish out the pork pieces with tongs and let cool for a few minutes, then pick out the meat from the bones and skin; return the meat to the pot. Taste and add salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired—you likely won’t need to add salt due to the inherent saltiness of smoked pork.
3. Be sure to drink the leftover, nutrient-dense liquid, known as collard liquor or pot likker; this tradition dates back to Africa.
Note: In the year leading up to my new cookbook’s release, I will be regularly releasing these recipes to 1) maintain a continuing conversation with my readership and 2) give visitors to this site an opportunity to test and provide feedback before editing. For more information on this new approach, read my post here.
The Domestic Man 
Great recipe!
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Yum! Cannot wait to try this:)
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Could this be made in an Instant Pot? I’ve made the recipe from Ancestral Table and it was great but tedious.
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Hi Andrew, you could make this in an electric pressure cooker. You’ll want to cook just the ham hock for 30 minutes at high pressure, allow it to depressurize naturally, then add the collards and pressure-cook for another 25 minutes at high pressure. You may want to wilt the greens in a skillet ahead of time (in batches if needed) to make sure they all fit in the pressure cooker. Still not a hassle-free method, but it’ll shave off a couple hours from the cooking process!
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Thanks! I’m really looking forward to the new book (have both of your past two). It would be awesome if you could include alternate pressure cooker instructions where relevant.
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The best flavor of this dish is released over time, and it doesn’t taste the same if it’s rushed
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This is on the stove right now, halfway through cooking. So I can’t say yet how it will turn out, but I can say the pot likker is already to die for!
Just wanted to say that I appreciate how real your recipes are. So many paleo recipes are all gimmick; whereas yours go back to the basics.
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Awesome recipe Rus.
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I have never cooked greens with the stem intact. I have stripped them , rolled the leaves and cut them. Should I leave the entire stem in, or is a thick end too fibrous? And my family And I love your recipies! Thank you!
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Looks wonderful!
Do you ever wrap bony pieces in cheesecloth so you can easily remove them?
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No. You eat the meat off of the bone.
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Any substitute for folks who don’t eat pork?
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Smoked turkey necks and/or wings! I mention it in the recipe write-up.
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Yummy!!! Looks and sounds amazing
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Russ, stop giving away our negro secrets. But seriously, I’ve always make my recipe pretty much this exact same way except I use bacon and add onions and garlic (I cook the onions and garlic in bacon grease as the first step). Why do you think it’s “the worst”?
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Haha, I really don’t think it’s the worst, but I was lamenting the fact that bacon is such a popular substitute for the original preparation (using ham hocks or necks) that it’s now become the norm. Personally, I think that the gelatinous mouthfeel of greens that are made with hocks or neck can’t be beat. I used to use onions in my greens, too, but I couldn’t really notice a difference in the final product, so I stopped using them over the years.
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This is just how we make it. You can also add fresh jalapenos while cooking to give it a fresher taste.
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Making this for the first time tonight, it smells great so far! I have a question about the amount of liquid…I added some more water because it seemed like there wasn’t enough…should the greens and bones be covered in liquid or is it okay that most of them are sort of sitting on top? I’ve been stirring it to make sure they are getting some liquid and I don’t want to add more and ruin the proportions. Thanks!
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P.S. Maybe I just need to be patient and wait for the greens to wilt a little bit, and then everything WILL be in the liquid??? :)
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Turn the greens in the pot once an hour. The meats should sit on a bed of greens and covered by a bed of greens during the cooking process.
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Hi Joan, you don’t want to add a lot of water, the vegetables will release a good amount and since you have the heat on low, there’s no fear of burning, either. I will usually only add water if the vegetables are completely wilted and it’s bone-dry at the bottom, which rarely happens. Hope this helps!
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Got it, thanks so much! And it turned out delicious anyway, but I will heed your advice next time :)
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looks yummy
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Looks amazing, seems to go against all instincts to cook greens for that long, but they look incredible! Will definitely be trying soon.
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New to your food recipes, looking forward to cook with you.
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Can this be cooked in a slow cooker ?
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