Southern Style Collard Greens

Now THIS is how you get some healthy greens into your kids! Serve alongside grilled steak or chicken.

PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound of fresh collard greens, washed, leaves removed from ribs, and chopped
1 smoked ham hock (about 4oz)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
I tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Texas-style hot sauce (we like Texas Pete)
1 tablespoon butter
3 quarts water

Directions
Place 3 cups of water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.

Wash and scrub the Ham Hock well, cut into sections and add to the boiling water. Let Ham Hock simmer for about 30 minutes on medium heat.

Add collard greens to the pot a handful at a time, let them cook down for a minute and then add more.

Reduce heat to a simmer, leave the pot uncovered and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add onion mixture to your pot of collard greens. Add salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce to pot. Stir well to combine.

Continue to simmer greens for about 15 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Remove ham hock with a slotted spoon, chop into small pieces and return to the greens. Serve immediately.