Collard Greens With Bacon Recipe

These steps were written by AI. The original source published this recipe's ingredients without a method, so we reconstructed one from them. The ingredients and quantities are the publisher's; the instructions are ours, and haven't been cooked from. Use your judgement on timings.

1. 01

   Prep the Vegetables

   Wash the 1 1/2 lbs collard greens thoroughly, making sure to remove any tough stems, then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Mince the 4 cloves garlic, and finely chop the 1/2 cup bell pepper and 1/2 cup onion.

   15 min
2. 02

   Render the Bacon

   In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, cook the 3 slices bacon over medium heat until crisp. This usually takes a few minutes, and you'll want it nice and golden brown.

   Remove the cooked bacon from the pot, leaving all that rendered fat behind. Set the bacon aside to cool, then chop it into small pieces; you'll stir these back in at the very end for texture.

   8 min
3. 03

   Sauté Aromatics

   Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the bacon fat in the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables soften and become translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just another minute, until you can smell its fragrance.

   8 min
4. 04

   Combine and Season

   Add the chopped collard greens to the pot, along with the 8 ozs pork hock, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp ground pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine.

   5 min
5. 05

   Simmer the Greens

   Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for a long time — about 4 hours — or until the collard greens are meltingly tender and the pork hock is falling apart easily from the bone.

   Stir occasionally throughout the simmer to ensure even cooking and prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

   240 min
6. 06

   Finish the Dish

   Carefully remove the pork hock from the pot. Shred the meat from the bone, discarding the bone, then return the shredded pork to the pot with the greens. Stir in the reserved chopped bacon and serve warm.

   5 min