Crock-Pot Collard Greens and Ham Hocks
Try this Crock-Pot Collard Greens and Ham Hocks recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Crock-Pot Collard Greens and Ham Hocks recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 11.7616623720551 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.698074839592888 g
- Fiber 6.04558482820254 g
- Protein 4.13789992299487 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0984403840102008 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (504g)
- Sodium 432.019745744843 mg
- Sugar 5.71607754385257 g
- Trans Fat 0.221406792787719 g
- Calories 60 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the ham hocks, onions, garlic, and peppers into the slow cooker, then turn pour in 8 cups of water.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker, then set on high for 6 hours.
- After 4 hours the ham hocks should be tender and falling off of the bone.
- Start adding in the collard greens.
- Sprinkle in the salt & pepper, then add in the apple cider vinegar.
- Give everything a stir, then let cook for two more hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
Smoked ham hocks release gelatin and collagen into the braising liquid over hours of steady heat, coating the fibrous collard leaves to soften their bitter bite. Cooking greens in a slow cooker maintains a moist, enclosed environment that prevents scorching while breaking down tough cell walls. Raw collards require incremental addition because eight cups of volume initially overflow the vessel before wilting down significantly.
- Replace smoked ham hocks with smoked turkey wings at a one-to-one weight ratio if pork is omitted, noting that poultry yields a lighter broth with less gelatin.
- Swap apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice at an equal measure to supply the necessary acid that balances the natural bitterness of brassicas.
- Adjust the heat duration carefully because overcooking greens past eight total hours turns their cellular structure into mush while dulling the bright green pigment to a drab olive hue.
- Retain leftover greens in an airtight glass container within the refrigerator for up to four days, where flavors continue to meld as starches cool.
Acid breaks down remaining connective tissue during the final phase of simmering. Proper timing ensures the ham hocks achieve fall-apart tenderness without entirely dissolving into the broth.
