Collard Greens with Smoked Pork
Tender, slightly bitter leaves, long-simmered with a piece of smoked pork until they yield a deep, salty broth — the famous "pot likker" sopped up with cornbread.
Tender, slightly bitter leaves, long-simmered with a piece of smoked pork until they yield a deep, salty broth — the famous "pot likker" sopped up with cornbread.
We'd pick the leaves from the garden, the biggest ones, and wash them three times — Oklahoma dirt clings, I tell you. Mama would let them whisper on the back of the stove all afternoon with a smoked ham hock, until the whole house smelled like Sunday. The secret ain't the leaf, it's the juice at the bottom of the pot: you never throw it away, you almost drink it. Sit up straight, help yourself, and save some bread for sopping.
- •Collards or turnip greens from the garden — a big armful (vegetable)
- •Smoked ham hock or hog jowl — one piece (smoky umami)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
- •Salt, pepper, a splash of vinegar — to taste (seasoning)
Collard Greens with Smoked Pork
Tender, slightly bitter leaves, long-simmered with a piece of smoked pork until they yield a deep, salty broth — the famous "pot likker" sopped up with cornbread.
Why this dish? On the Oklahoma farm, garden greens simmered for hours with a piece of smoked pork. Anita Hill recalls the rural roots and family cooking of her childhood — this humble dish is its very soul.
We'd pick the leaves from the garden, the biggest ones, and wash them three times — Oklahoma dirt clings, I tell you. Mama would let them whisper on the back of the stove all afternoon with a smoked ham hock, until the whole house smelled like Sunday. The secret ain't the leaf, it's the juice at the bottom of the pot: you never throw it away, you almost drink it. Sit up straight, help yourself, and save some bread for sopping.
Ingredients (period version)
- Collards or turnip greens from the garden — a big armful (vegetable)
- Smoked ham hock or hog jowl — one piece (smoky umami)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
- Salt, pepper, a splash of vinegar — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Collard greens or kale — 800 g (vegetable)
- Smoked ham hock (or smoked turkey leg / smoked bacon) — 300 g (smoky umami)
- Onion, sliced — 1 (aromatic)
- Garlic — 2 cloves (aromatic)
- Chicken broth or water — 1 liter (braising liquid)
- Apple cider vinegar — 1 tbsp (balances bitterness)
- Pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, pinch of chili flakes — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Wash leaves thoroughly, remove tough stems, and cut into wide ribbons.
- Sauté onion and garlic, add smoked pork and broth, bring to a simmer.
- Add greens, cover, and simmer gently 1 to 1.5 hours until tender.
- Shred the meat into the pot, season with vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Serve juicy with pot likker and cornbread for sopping.
How it was made : Long-cooked greens with a smoked protein descend directly from West African boiled leaf dishes, adapted by enslaved Africans who made use of the pork parts they were given. Pot likker, rich in nutrients, sustained families: nothing was wasted.
The contemporary twist : Meatless version with smoked turkey leg or smoked paprika: you keep the profile without the pork, perfect for a mixed table.
Sources : Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog (2011) · Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking (1976) · Adrian Miller, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine (2013)
Anita Hill · Charactorium