I decided to go Southern tonight and make some roasted sweet potatoes, grilled steak with Tony’s Creole seasoning and as the piece de resistance these Southern Greens. I had a bunch of swiss chard still in my fridge and a recipe from my friend Liesl to work with. I also randomly had bought a small ham hock from the butcher because I saw it, had never used one, and decided to bring it home and figure out what one uses it for. Adventure is out there!

The leek, garlic, bell pepper, pancetta ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

So, I combined the recipe Liesl recommended with one from the Porcini Chronicles’ blog and came up with this stupendous creation. There was some prep for it, but not too much, so it made for a nice Saturday night dinner. I also liked how it basically cooked itself for about 40 minutes during which time I prepped the roasted sweet potatoes (sprinkled with olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, a little cinnamon, paprika, and a dash of brown sugar).

Adding the greens with the ham hock ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

I didn’t feel rushed or like everything had to be done at the same moment and was also able to chop the swiss chard while the sauce with the ham hock was simmering.

Adding the cream ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

The result was a creamy, salty, and completely non-bitter concoction. It was really good but rich thanks to the added slices of ham so not too much per person is needed. We enjoyed the decadent side dish and I would make it again especially for a holiday meal. Here’s my Southern greens:

Dinner time! ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Southern Greens with Cream & Ham Hock

Recipe inspired by: Liesl P. & Porcini Chronicles
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces or circles of pancetta in “lardons” (matchstick shapes)
• 1/2 onion, minced OR 1/2 leek, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, diced
• 1 ham hock
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound of thick cooking greens such as cabbage or Swiss chard, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce, optional

Directions:
1. In a dutch oven or soup pot, heat the pancetta until it has rendered some fat and browned.
2. Add the onion or leek, garlic, and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add in the ham hock and chicken stock and simmer lightly, covered, until the ham hock starts to get tender, about 40 minutes.
3. Pour in the chopped greens, raise the heat to high and return to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the greens are tender. Remove the ham hock and shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot and dispose of the bone.
4. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer gently, uncovered, for a few minutes longer. Season as needed with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.