Southern Mustard Greens with Ham Hocks

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 35

Total Time: 1 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 662kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Tender and flavorful braised mustard greens made the old fashioned way with ham hocks and pot likker

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Equipment

1 cutting board
1 knife
1 stock pot four quarts or larger
1 kitchen spoon

Ingredients

2 bunches mustard greens
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
½ onion sweet yellow preferred
6 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
4 cups chicken broth or stock
2 pounds smoked ham hocks or shank, jowl, ears, etc.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
hot sauce to taste

Instructions

Wash the greens well then pat them dry, remove and discard stems, and chop the leaves. I recommend stacking the leaves on top of each others, cutting into four strips lengthwise, then cutting the strips into pieces.
2 bunches mustard greens
Add olive oil to pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, dice the onion and mince or crush the garlic.
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ onion, 6 cloves garlic
Add onion to heated oil, followed by onion powder, garlic powder, crushed pepper, black pepper, and sea salt. (See notes section) Cook until mixture is fragrant and onions are just about translucent then add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, black pepper, sea salt
Add chicken broth and ham hock to pot then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer and bubble for about 20 minutes.
4 cups chicken broth, 2 pounds smoked ham hocks
Stir mustard greens, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar into pot making sure the greens get coated in liquid to help them wilt and cook.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about an hour or until greens are tender then remove from heat. Taste test and add salt, if needed.
Remove ham hock from pot, cut the meat from the bone(s) into bite-sized pieces, then stir the meat and bone back it into the greens to serve. Serve with hot sauce.
hot sauce

Notes

Preparation

You can prepare mustard greens with smoked meat up to three days in advance, store in the refrigerator, and reheat when you're ready to serve.

Start with a small amount of salt in the seasoning of this dish (step three) then add more after the final taste test, if needed. Pork is already quite salty so we don't want to overdo it here.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days. Note that because of the collagen from the ham bone, the pot likker will congeal and thicken when chilled. But don't worry, it will liquefy again once reheated.

To freeze cooked mustard greens, let them cool to room temperature then transfer the greens and pot likker to an airtight, freezer-safe container. They'll keep in the freezer for up to six months.

Nutrition