ALE-BRAISED COLLARDS WITH HAM

Ale-Braised Collards With Ham image

This recipe came to The Times from Hayden Hall, the chef and an owner of Oxbow Restaurant in Clarksdale, Miss. Red pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar give the greens a sharp edge, and ham hock gives them even more succulence.

Provided by Kim Severson

Time 2h30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt, as needed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
12 ounces American amber ale (such as Yalobusha Copperhead Amber Ale)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 smoked ham hock
3 bunches (about 3 pounds) collard greens, thoroughly washed, stems removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
Black pepper, as needed

Steps:

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and just starting to color, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, the red pepper flakes and the brown sugar; stir to combine. Add beer and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add 2 cups water, the apple cider vinegar, the ham hock and the collard greens; stir to combine. Cover pot, raise heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil. Stir collards thoroughly to incorporate flavors, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring every 30 minutes, until collards reach desired tenderness, at least 30 minutes but preferably up to 2 hours. Remove ham hock; pull off and chop meat and return to pan, or discard if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 292, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 19 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 943 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams