Collard Greens Recipe (Potlikker / Pot Liquor) | Chuckle & Chow
Collard greens recipe with potlikker (pot liquor): smoked meat, long simmer, greens broth you sop with cornbread. Times, steps, and sides.
Potlikker Collard Greens recipe

Collard greens recipe with potlikker: smoked meat, long simmer, greens broth for cornbread.
6 servings · Prep 20 min · Cook 90 min · Total 110 min
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches collard greens, stemmed and sliced
- 1 smoked ham hock or smoked turkey wing
- 1 onion, quartered
- 8 cups water
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- Hot sauce, to serve
Steps
- Wash the greens twice. Roll and slice into ribbons.
- Simmer ham hock and onion in water 30 minutes to start the potlikker.
- Add greens in handfuls. Stir as they wilt. Cover and simmer 45–90 minutes until silky.
- Season with salt, pepper, flakes, and vinegar. Taste the pot liquor — it should be smoky and worth sopping.
- Serve greens in a bowl with plenty of potlikker and cornbread on the side.
How to make collard greens with potlikker
1) Strip stems, roll the leaves, and slice into ribbons. Rinse grit twice. 2) Simmer a ham hock, smoked turkey wing, or bacon in water until the pot smells like Sunday. 3) Add greens in handfuls. 4) Cook 45–90 minutes until tender. 5) Season with salt, pepper, vinegar, and hot sauce. The liquid left is potlikker (also spelled pot liquor or pot likker).
What is potlikker (pot liquor)?
Potlikker is the smoky broth under the greens. Sop it with cornbread or use it to start Hoppin John. Potlikker slang meaning.
Hoppin John recipe · Cornbread recipe · Black-eyed peas
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