Big B's Collard Greens

I'm rating this 5 stars, although I admit I made some adjustments, but this seemed like the closest recipe I found to my favorite restaurant's version of collard greens. They turned out great, and I didn't have more than 3 hours to cook 'em! I plan on letting them go longer when I reheat. My biggest alteration in the recipe was adding 4 Tablespoons of sugar for a big pot of greens. Perhaps it's not authentic- I don't know since I didn't grow up on collards- but it brought out a nice flavor. I added a bit more than 4 Tablespoons of regular white vinegar (not fond of the apple cider type), because I like the bite, and only added one ham hock because I'm not accustomed to cooking with them and I was afraid that they might overpower the dish. Only used 3 cloves of garlic b/c they were huge, and ground red pepper because that's what I had on hand. I had a bunch of collards from my CSA farm share. It was 6 enormous leaves, just in case anybody's wondering what a "bunch" is. This made a really big pot- maybe 2 quarts' worth or so. Can't wait to see how they taste tomorrow!

Your recipe made the best greens I've ever had!!! I have made them 3x already. 2x I used smoked neckbones and the other time I used smoked turkey wings instead of the ham hocks. I also used LAWRY's season salt where the recipe called for salt. My 11 year old who usually hates collard greens LOVES this recipe and calls them MG's, which is short for magic greens. She named them that because they are magically delicious LOL. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can't wait to show it off at my next family function.

Excellent! My born-and-raised-in-the-South husband said these were some of the best greens he's ever had. I did put in extra ham hocks, but otherwise followed the recipe. As another reviewer mentioned, these do have a little more kick than usual. Thanks, Brian!

NOTE: 1 BUNCH COLLARD GREENS = APPROXIMATELY 2 LBS. NOW....THIS RECIPE IS PERFECTION!!!! I have been making greens for years. I grew up on "bitter greens" as we kids called them - turnip and mustard greens with turnips in them, with no smoked meat (that's how my dad liked them - he hated collards). As a kid, i couldn't wait until Thanksgiving at my grandma's house, because she made "sweet greens" - collards with smoked meat. Growing up, I only learned how to make the bitter greens, and was left helpless when I married a man who hated turnips and mustards. I searched and tried many a collard green recipe, playing with seasonings, bacon, salt pork, ham hocks....and then BIG B'S COLLARD GREENS recipe crossed my path. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT RECIPE I don't know how long Big B worked on getting the perfect mix of seasonings in perfect proportions to make such a luscious recipe. But thank you! I must admit I substituted smoked turkey tails for the ham hocks, only because we cut back on eating pork. TOO DELICIOUS!!!

Delicious! The only change I made was I did not pull the meat from the ham hocks as I used 4 small ones and they did not have enough meat to make it worth my time. Instead I let them season up the broth and pulled them out. Then I cooked some bacon, chopped it up, and sprinkled it on top of the greens when I served them. I love the heat from the red pepper flakes, they add depth that other recipes don't offer. I made some corn muffins to serve along with the greens as well. These are so good, I will be making greens a lot more now. :-)

didn't like the spice... also missing baking soda for tenderness

FANTASTIC! I have never attempted collard greens before, these turned out great. Easy to make, house smelled delicious all day long. I cooked a meal for people that were very familiar with southern/soul food and everyone said they were scrumptious!

Perfect! This got my son to eat his greens! FYI, I used a 2 pound bag of chopped fresh collards and used the same amount of seasonings except for the chili flakes, of which I reduced to a scant teaspoon. It had a pleasant but not hot kick. Thanks Big B!

Thank you so much for posting!!!! This was my first attempt at collards & they turned out great. My husband and I both loved the flavor & bit of spicyness. Success!

This was awesome! First time I did collard greens and it was perfect. I only made one alteration, and I dropped the red pepper flakes from 1 tbsp to 1 tsp because we have kids and they all loved it! This one is a keeper!!

I used a full 2 lb. bag of greens from Walmart for this dish and cooked the greens for 2 hrs. I reduced red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon, and I'm REALLY glad I did, because it would have been WAY too hot for us if I hadn't. If you add the full tablespoon and hot pepper sauce, I hope you like really spicey/hot food, cause that is what you're going to get. I added a few tablespoons of sugar because my greens were really bitter and the sugar helped with that. These were delicious, and next time I'm going to try it with smoked turkey instead of the ham hocks. Thanks Big B!

Wow! This recipe is easy and the taste is absolute Heaven! Thank you very much Brian W for an excellent recipe that is now a staple in our house!

I tried this recipe and worked out very well!! Neck bones or ham hocks...regardless, make sure you take the meat off the bones like it says. My husband thought this was very delicious!:) Very nice way to cook collards.

These greens are the best ever!!!!!!

Best Collards I've ever tasted

Let me first state that I'm not a big fan of bitter collard greens. With most recipes, I taste the result then add sugar and raspberry vinegar. With this recipe, I was amazed. I used chicken bouillon cubes and water for the chicken stock and continued the recipe as is. It had just the right amount of salt and bitterness that I didn't even want to sweeten it. Very good recipe and will make again when I'm craving unsweetened collard greens. Served with Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken and Dad's Pan-Fried Green Beans.

This was the first time I made greens and I used this recipe. My wife praised my greens as she slurped up another fork full. I substituted turkey wings and I can say that this is the best pot of greens I've made!

The best. Brings me back to Sunday feasts while I was stationed at Fort Campbell. The only changes I made were to use only 1 ham hock and 3 smoked pork neck bones.

First time making collard greens. They were outstanding my husband couldn't get enough! Say good bye to the canned stuff!

This recipe is delicious! I made it for my family and they all loved it. The aroma when cooking the broth was wonderful. The finished product has a great taste and a little spice kick.

These are the best greens ever! The only thing we used different was rice vinegar. We also used 2 lbs. of pepared collard greens because it made it a little easier.

Perfect collards

My go-to recipe for collard greens!! I add a little extra garlic, and use smoke pork shank (it has a lot more meat), but other than that I don't change a thing! The best ever!

This is delicious. I must admit that I doubled the collard greens and the chicken stock though, and I added everything to the pot at once and cooked for about 3 1/2 hours. This is a definite keeper. Oh, and I used sliced pork side meat as my grocery store was out of ham hocks.

I love this recipe! I have made it with turkey and ham, and I like the smoked turkey wings (or leg) the best. I add way more vinegar, 1/2 cup and i'd say about 2 tsp. of red pepper. Toward the end of cooking I also add in some "Better Than Bouillon" to deepen the flavors. These collards go great with pulled pork!

I made these greens for my Christmas dinner no need to serve with hot sauce it will sit on the table no one used it. I didn't follow the recipe exactly I didn't use garlic or vinegar and I used beef broth and seasoned everything by looks like my grandmother did and it was super spicy but amazing. I alsocut and soaked my greens the day before with a chopped onion in the water. They were tender spicy and every bite was a joy. Hope you love it as much as we did. It's mandatory for New Years and my Deployed husband wants me to have a plate with me when I pick him up at the airport.

I made this recipe for our family Thanksgiving last year - my first time making it for family (talk about pressure)!!! They turned out absolutely wonderful. I even had my brother in law request I make him a pot all for himself :-). The only changes I made were adding a couple of tsps of baking soda for tenderness and not pulling the meat from the ham hocks.

These were amazing. True savory, flavorful, southern greens. I have been making them in large batches and freezing quart sized portions so that I always have some ready. I prepared them according to the recipe for the holidays, but made them with only one ham hock during my spring diet. That made a difference - still good but not as savory. Also, if you plan to eat a large portion, your mouth will thank you to reduce the red pepper flakes.

Wonderful, the best! Thank you! When I have the time this is how I make them.

Perfect! Added some Lawry’s to season after the greens had cooked down. Delicious!

One of these days, I'll get around to taking a photo of the collards before they're devoured. It's a really small window of opportunity because these collards are just THAT good. It's one of the few recipes I can highly recommend to anyone. The first time I made this, I'd never made collards before. The recipe is simple enough to follow for a (patient) intermediate home cook but collard noob. Now I can say that I've made this more times than I can count! It's impressed everyone every single time. Of course, I made some small adjustments (alteration suggestions follow) using a combination of the tips I found in other reviews here. I double up on my batches too, and it works just fine. Just be patient, stir regularly, taste often, and don't be afraid to experiment. Time and Texture: I tend to cook 2 batches for about 5 hours total (including the time it takes to make the broth). Personally, I don't like my collards veiny or thick. I prefer mine mushy and full of all the tasty spices and broth, so I cook it all the way down - until the broth is gone. Keep and Change: The ham hocks really add something special to the dish so I suggest not substituting them unless you have to. I did reduce the kick, though. Even leaving only a tiny bit of heat in, the collards pick it up stronger than you'd think (so keep that in mind when making your own ingredient decisions). Suggested Additions: Add sugar to taste. It cuts the bitterness, and for me, it's been the difference between "I'

So easy and so good! OMG--we just finished up the last of it last night! It really is the closest to how my Grandmom would make them! And my Hubby was real satisfied, too...

This was awesome. Better than my mom's because of the red pepper. At first I thought that it was too spicy, but after the second bite it was just perfect. Had a group of friends over and they raved about it. Had approximately another quart of liquid (water) in addition to the quart of chicken stock.

Great recipe... I also added polk greens and spinach... plus a teaspoon of veg oil to the pot... wonderful!

Great dish. I used about half and half water and chicken broth. I used one large ham bone that I had thawed out after we froze it from Thanksgiving dinner. I doubled up the greens and it was fine. If you are not a fan of heat then you will need to back off on the pepper flakes. A tablespoon of fresh flakes really delivers spiciness. I loved it, but it is too much for some people. I added more vinegar just because I like a tangy flavor with colalrds. Enjoy!

Delicious! I made one change...used smoked turkey legs (2) instead of ham hock.

Delish, and this is coming from a southern girl. Thanks!

I've been making greens for about 5 years now. I don't make them often. As a southern women I've been trying to master them. They always come out good but just not my grandma's greens. I've been searching for the perfect combination. I think this may be it! I'm not one for measuring when I cook. I read the recipe and see the measurements as far as what was used most or least. I didn't measure anything except the garlic and apple cider vinegar and I used one onion as listed. I added sugar because that's what my grandma does. Other reviewers mentioned using less red pepper. I probably used more than listed and I added hot sauce when I made my plate. I LOVE spicy food! This is definitely a great recipe. I will tweak measurements to taste to get it perfect for me. But I am finally on track to making perfect greens. I used my own homemade seasoned salt mix. Also I used smoked neck bones and did not take the bone out. I've never known anyone to remove the bones. Thanks for the great recipe!

My husband makes these for me on Sunday. I was never a greens fan in the past, but I can't get enough of these. The broth is beautiful delicious... and is it Sunday yet?

I loved this recipe. I never have ham hocks but have tried it with chunks of a leftover baked ham or chunks of raw bacon cut up to simmer in the broth and just keep it in there to cook up with the greens. It worked great. I leave out the red pepper flakes. Wish I could leave them in but I have one kid who hates even black pepper. They are still very tasty without the red pepper. I make them one night a week now & everyone loves them!

I never cared for collards, but I’d keep trying because any good Southerner supposed to have collard greens on New Year’s Day, right? These are wonderful! I now make them several times a year. My notes... make the pot likker exactly as shown in the recipe except maybe adjust the pepper if you don’t care for spicy foods. Try to use lean ham hocks; turkey necks work well if you can’t find ham hocks. Be sure to pull off some of the meat after cooking and add back to the pot

This was my first time making Greens, my family loved it. My husband asked Where did you learn to cook like this I followed the direction to the tee. the family named the Greens. My Goodness Greens. Lol... Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will most definitely be making this again

New Years Day Dinner: On New Years Eve morning, I washed, deveined and then cut in bite-sized squares 3 bundles of collard greens. Placed in 4.5 slow cooker on top of 1 smoked hock. Mixed all other ingredients, REPLACED salt with a 1/2 tsp baking soda, in a 4 cup measuring pitcher and poured over greens and hock and set on" low". I, occasionally, checked the liquid level and pushed the collards, as they wilted, down into the liquid. Slow cooked until late morning on New Years Day. I then removed hock bone and fat and reduced temp to "warm" for dinner at 6. Best greens we have ever had! Mylove, who likes his food spicy, said that "These are the best greens! I did not have to add any hot sauce". The rest of our New Years Day meal; corn muffins, potato salad, black eyed peas and fried chicken provided the "cooling" that I needed. This will be my go-to recipe for collards, for sure. Peach pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

loved this recipe however I made some adjustments. first, I used the chicken stock as the recipe calls for however I added smoked bacon no turkey necks or ham hocks, just good old smoked bacon. I prepared the stock and allowed it to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the smoked bacon. I also kept adding water as needed throughout the process before and after adding the greens. I used jalapeño juice and some mild jalapeños after the greens were added to the stock and added some veggie oil (just about a tablespoon) and some white vinegar (to taste). I also added more of all the seasonings in the recipe including red pepper flakes! I loved the flavors and the little punch of heat! Remember to stir periodically. I left my pot of greens on simmer for approx 5 hours. Also, trust you gut and soul when cooking greens. I'm southern and we cook soul food. This recipe is great but add your seasonings and take your time and taste as you go. if it feels good in your soul, you know you are doing a fab job!

My best friends mother grew up in the south and fixed her collard greens as a child. She misses them deeply since her mother died. I visited a restaurant that was famous for their collard greens bought some for Benna and she went bananas over them and wanted more. I’ve never made them before and tried this recipe and gave some of them to Benna. She went bananas again, wanted the recipe and couldn’t say enough good things about this recipe. Personally I’ve never had color greens before and these are scrumptious!

I thought the broth would be a little more flavorful, but this recipe was solid all the way through. My wife liked it which was a big surprise to me.

My family loved this recipe. I did not use onion because a few family members don't like them. This is a awesome recipe,in fact making them again these weekend

I’ve been making this every New Years Eve for the past 4 or 5 years. Instead of doing the final simmering on the stove, I finish it off in a large crock pot. While my ham hocks are simmering I clean, trim, and chop my greens and place them in the crock pot. Then pull the meat from the bones. Then pour the meat and broth over the greens and let it cook overnight on Low. Next morning, you wake up to the wonderful aroma and the greens are fork tender! Serve it up around lunch time with roasted ham, black eyed peas, and fresh baked corn bread and start the New Year off right!

Simply awesome...worked out great the very first time.

My family is new to collard greens. I find the recipe as is to be a little too strong for my taste. I have made it many times since and have cut down on the red pepper and the apple cider vinegar. I use bacon that I cook first and drain the fat, instead of ham hocks. I am sure that the ham hocks would give it an amazing flavor, though. I use chicken broth for the stock and add no water. My hubby loves collard greens since I first started making it and often brings it home for me to cook.

I usually make turnip greens but this recipe has changed my mind! Delicious and more interesting flavors than my standard. The pot liquid (potlicker) was wonderful over cheese grits and cornbread!

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and had a house full of people who had never eaten collard greens. I made a few alterations but mostly stuck to the recipe. It was a huge hit. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!!

My go to recipe for Collard Greens, have received nothing but "delicious" every time I make this!

A little hot maybe use a little less pepper flakes.

Due to the time it takes this recipe is a Saturday afternoon, put on the stove and relax kinda dish. But oh my! I used turnip greens because they tend to be a little less bitter. That liquor! Oh, just pour that liquid in a glass and drink it. I've made this a few times and it's a big winner every time. This is my go-to greens recipe.

This recipe was SOOO good!! One thing I suggest would be to reduce the red pepper flakes boy oh boy is it hot!! Had to add some sugar for my husband to cool down the heat! All in All BEST recipe, it was SOOOOO good and I ate my weight in greens this evening!!

I added a 1/2 a stick of butter, Splenda instead of sugar and thyme along with Garlic….

delicious !!! My third time making these, my family loves this recipe! So yummy!

I changed the ham hocks and replaced them with smoked turkey legs!!! Amazing outcome!!! Loved it!!!!

Great recipe! Don't change a thing. Just make it and enjoy it!