Start by pulling the green leaves away from the stems.
6 Small Bunches Collard Greens
Roll a handful of greens and cut them horizontally into small pieces. By personal preference, you can decide if you would like to cut an include the stems.
Add greens into an empty sink and thoroughly wash them in cold water removing all grit, sand, and debris. Drain sink and repeat until water becomes clear.
Rinse the smoked meat very well.
1 Extra Large Smoked Ham Hock
Add the smoked meat to a large pot along with enough water to fully submerge the meat.
Then cover with a lid and cook over medium high heat for about 45 minutes or until the meat is near being tender.
Add greens to the pot along with about 4-5 additional cups of water or enough to just barely cover greens to the pot. This will become your pot liquor.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cook while covered for at least 2 hours or until completely tender. Most water should have evaporated by this point just having enough to barely cover the greens.