How to make slow cooked collard greens

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Collard greens are a staple in many parts of the world, but it's perhaps no surprise to anyone that it's in the southern United States where you'll find them the most. Collard greens are actually a part of the cabbage family and just like other cabbages, they do very well with long, slow cooking times. And by cooking them in the slow cooker, you free up the stovetop for things like fried chicken, hush puppies, and shrimp and grits!
Traditionally this dish is cooked with smoked ham hocks, as we've done here. You can however, use smoked turkey drumsticks for a leaner twist. It will also provide even more meat than the ham hocks. If you can't find ham hocks but want a similar taste, try chopped smoked bacon. The thicker the cut, the better.
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Slow Cooker Collard Greens
4
10 minutes
6 hours
6 hours, 10 minutes
2 pounds (900 grams) smoked ham hocks
4 pounds (1.5 kg) collard greens, washed and roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar
¼ teaspoon (1.5 ml) cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place chopped collard greens into an 8-quart slow cooker along with the ham hocks, onion and garlic. In a large bowl combine the stock, vinegar, sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients and pour over the collard greens and ham. Mix everything together one more time.
Place lid on slow cooker, set to low and cook for 4 to 6 hours.
At the end of cooking time, remove lid from the slow cooker and shred the meat off the ham hocks; discard bones. Mix ham with the collard greens before serving.
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Pro tip: In place of collard greens, "mixed greens" are also popular in the South. Mixed greens are made the same way, but about half the amount of collard greens are used and they are mixed with an equal amount of spinach, kale, or other leafy greens.
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