THE CHEF FROM HELL

This is one of my favorite comfort food dishes to prepare.  It's simple, delicious and provides (dare I say it?) peace of mind.

Ingredients:

5 lb fresh Collard Greens

2 Smoked Pork Hocks

1/2 lb Salt Pork, rind removed & sliced into thin strips

2 large Spanish Onions, chopped coarse

5 cups Chicken Stock or Broth

5 cups cold Water

2 TBS Kosher Salt

1 tsp Butcher Cracked Black Pepper

2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Cooking Procedure:

To Clean Your Collard Greens:

Cut away & discard the thick stems & heavy ribs from the collard green leaves

Place the leaves in a large pot or your kitchen sink

Cover the leaves with cold water & let them soak for 15 minutes

Swish the leaves around from time to time to loosen any grit or dirt from the leaves

Drain the water from the leaves & shake excess water from the leaves

Repeat this process two more times to ensure all dirt & grit is removed from your greens

To prepare your greens:

While your greens are draining from the final rinse, place the chicken stock, water, onions, pork hocks and salt pork in a large pot

Bring this to a rolling boil

Let it boil for 15 minutes

Add the black pepper, crushed red pepper, salt & the washed collard greens to the pot

Reduce the heat to low

Cover the pot

Let the greens simmer until they are tender; about 1 hour

Note: Some folks like to serve their greens with the ham hocks left whole.  I prefer to remove them from the pot just before serving and, after letting them cool down for a minute or two, I trim the meat & fat from the bone.  After discarding the ham hock bones, I chop up the meat & fat & then I throw it all back into the pot with the greens. Stir well & let the greens cook for a few minutes longer before serving.