Eastern Nc Collard Greens - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 smoked ham hocks
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt, heaping
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, heaping
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 lbs collard greens, washed, stringed & torn (keep large ribs snapped in 3 inch lengths to one side)

Preparation

Using large nonreactive pot, bring water, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes & ham hocks to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot & simmer 2 hours until ham hocks are falling apart.
Cool liquid & ham hocks.
Pick bones from meat & skin - chop both roughly & return to pot.
Bring liquid to simmer & lay the collard stalks in the bottom of the pot. Next layer in the torn leaves, putting the largest, thickest on the bottom above the stalks & finish with the tender innermost leaves. There should be about 4 cups of liquid in the bottom of the pot - not all the leaves are submerged!
Gently braise collards with lid on pot for an hour. Low heat is key - high heat causes release of sulfur compounds (as same other members of Brassicaciae family -cabbage, broccoli), stirring occasionally.
Expect the leaves to initially brighten & then slowly turn a dark forest green - and smell really good!
Add additional heat with pickled peppers or Texas Pete (made in NC) hot sauce & vinegar as you wish at the table - Mmmmmm good! Freezes well in freezer bags.