Mustard Greens & Ham Hocks
Submitted by catcop
Southern mustard greens slow-simmered with smoked ham hocks, cabbage, and potatoes in a peppery pot likker. A one-pot soul food classic cooked low and slow.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis right here is soul food done the old way. Smoked ham hocks simmer until they’re falling-apart tender, building a rich, porky broth that becomes the cooking liquid for a big pot of mustard greens, chopped cabbage, and quartered potatoes.
The ham hocks go in first and need a good hour and a half of gentle simmering before anything else hits the pot. That long, slow cook renders the fat, softens the connective tissue, and creates the deeply smoky pot likker that seasons everything that follows. Rushing this step gives you tough hocks and weak broth.
Adding the vegetables in stages is how you keep everything from turning to mush. The greens go in first for 30 minutes since they’re sturdy and need time to break down. Then the cabbage and potatoes join for the final 30 minutes, finishing tender but still holding their shape. That teaspoon of sugar isn’t there for sweetness. It takes the sharp, peppery bite off the mustard greens and rounds out the flavor.
Chef Tips
- Wash the greens at least three times. Mustard greens hold grit between their wrinkled leaves. Swish them in a big bowl of water and drain until the water runs clear.
- Don’t throw away the pot likker. That cooking broth is liquid gold. Serve it in bowls alongside the greens, or soak it up with cornbread.
- Collard greens swap in directly if mustard greens aren’t available. They’re milder but cook the same way.
Variations
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to each bowl at the table for a tangy contrast to the smoky pork.
- Use smoked turkey legs instead of ham hocks for a similar smoky flavor with less fat.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the greens thoroughly and drain them by shaking off any excess water.
Remove the very thick part of the stems from the greens and coarsely chop the leaves.
Cut the cabbage into quarters and cut the core from the cabbage pieces.
Coarsely chop the cabbage and set aside.
Put the ham hocks and enough cold water to cover them in a 4 quart saucepan over high heat.
Heat to boiling, reduce the heat to simmering, and cook the hocks, covered, until almost tender, about 1 and a ½ hours.
Stir in the chopped greens, salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Cook 30 minutes.
Add the cabbage and potatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Check the seasonings and serve hot.
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