No home cooked meal is complete without a solid side dish or two. Today Chef Tom shares his recipe for Ham Hocks & Collard Greens, first preparing a ham hock stock on the Kamado Joe Classic III ceramic charcoal grill, then braising the collards in the flavorful broth and smoky pork. The result is tender, savory greens with a wonderful pot liquor that is practically liquid gold!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Simmering the ham hock separately first builds a smoky, gelatin-rich stock that becomes the braising liquid for the greens, rather than cooking everything together from the start
- Straining the stock and pulling the meat off the bone separately means only clean, usable pork goes into the final dish, with bones, skin, and connective tissue left behind
- Cooking the onions in the same dutch oven right after making the stock picks up whatever fond is left in the pot, building flavor into the greens from the very first step
- Adding vinegar and brown sugar only at the end balances the smoky, savory braise with acidity and sweetness right before serving, rather than cooking those flavors down over the full braise time
Ham Hocks & Collard Greens
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Pork
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Calories
564
Chef Tom shares his recipe for Ham Hocks & Collard Greens, first preparing a ham hock stock on the Kamado Joe Classic III ceramic charcoal grill, then braising the collards in the flavorful broth and smoky pork.
Ingredients
-
2 tbsp Colonial Chile Infused Oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 lb collard greens
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
-
Nobel Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, as needed
Directions
- Build a large hot coal bed in the Kamado Joe Classic III. Stabilize the temperature at 425ºF, set up for direct grilling.
- Rinse the collard greens well under cold water. Remove the ribs of all over the collard greens and slice the leaves 1/2” thick.
- Combine the ham hock, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and red chile flakes in a Lodge 7 quart dutch oven. Cover with one gallon of water. Simmer until the meat of the ham hock is pulling away from the bone and liquid is reduced down to 2 cups, about 90-120 minutes. Strain the liquid. Pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones, skin, connective tissue. Chop the meat and set aside. Set aside the strained liquid in a separate container, as well.
Return the empty dutch oven to the grill. Add the Colonial Chile Infused Oil. Add the onions and Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Add the collard greens, diced ham hock meat and the reserved ham hock stock liquid. Cook until the greens are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Add the vinegar and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Taste and season the Ham Hocks & Collard Greens with Nobel Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, as needed.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why simmer the ham hock separately before adding the collard greens?
Simmering it alone for 90-120 minutes builds a smoky, gelatin-rich stock that becomes the braising liquid for the greens. Adding everything together from the start wouldn't give the stock the same time to develop before the greens go in.
Why strain the stock and pull the meat off the bone separately?
Straining removes the bones, skin, and connective tissue, so only clean, chopped meat and clear liquid go back into the dish. Leaving those parts in would make the final greens harder to eat and less pleasant in texture.
Why cook the onions in the same dutch oven the ham hock stock was made in?
Returning the empty pot to the grill and cooking the onions there picks up whatever fond is left behind from the stock, building that flavor into the greens from the very first step of the braise.
Why add the vinegar and brown sugar only at the end instead of with the stock?
Stirring them in right before serving balances the smoky, savory braise with acidity and sweetness at full strength. Adding them earlier would let both cook down and mellow over the full braise time.
How do I know when the ham hock is done simmering?
Look for the meat to be pulling away from the bone and the liquid to have reduced to about 2 cups those two cues together are the doneness test here, rather than a fixed simmer time.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 a stovetop dutch oven can handle both the stock and the braise exactly the way the grill does here; the grill mainly adds a touch of ambient smoke to the process.
Recipe Highlights
Separately simmered ham hock stock: Builds a smoky, gelatin-rich base before the greens are added.
Strained meat and liquid: Leaves bones and connective tissue behind for a cleaner final texture.
Fond-built onion base: Ties the greens' flavor back to the same pot the stock cooked in.
Late-added vinegar and sugar: Balances the braise with bright acidity right before serving.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 564
- Carbs
- 16 grams
- Protein
- 42 grams
- Fat
- 37 grams
- Sodium
- 168 milligrams
