Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 2 lb collard greens (about 2 large bunches), stems removed, leaves sliced
- 1 smoked pork hock (about 1 1/2 lb)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, plus 2 tbsp more to finish
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (plus more to serve)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, to finish)
Do This
- 1. Heat smoker to 250°F and add wood (hickory, oak, or apple).
- 2. In a smoker-safe Dutch oven or deep foil pan, add onion, garlic, broth, water, pork hock, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp vinegar.
- 3. Pack in collards, cover tightly with lid or heavy-duty foil, and smoke for 2 hours.
- 4. Stir, re-cover, and smoke 1 more hour (collards should be getting silky).
- 5. Uncover and smoke 30 minutes to deepen flavor and slightly reduce the pot liquor.
- 6. Pull hock, shred meat, return to pot; stir in 2 tbsp vinegar and 1 tbsp hot sauce (plus brown sugar/butter if using).
- 7. Taste, adjust salt, vinegar, and heat; serve hot with plenty of smoky pot liquor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Real BBQ side energy: smoky, meaty, and built to stand up to brisket, ribs, or pulled pork.
- Silky collards, not bitter: low-and-slow heat plus a vinegar finish makes the greens tender and balanced.
- Smoker-friendly and hands-off: the pot does the work while your smoker adds that pit flavor.
- That “vinegar kick”: bright apple cider vinegar and hot sauce wake everything up right before serving.
Grocery List
- Produce: collard greens (2 lb), yellow onion (1), garlic (1 head)
- Dairy: unsalted butter (optional)
- Pantry: low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups), apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, light brown sugar (optional), kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Meat: smoked pork hock (about 1 1/2 lb)
Full Ingredients
Greens and aromatics
- 2 lb collard greens (about 2 large bunches), tough stems removed
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Smoky cooking base
- 1 smoked pork hock (about 1 1/2 lb)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Vinegar kick and finishing
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (goes in at the start)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (stir in at the end), plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (stir in at the end), plus more to serve
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar (optional, helps round out sharp vinegar and smoke)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for a glossy, rich finish)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the smoker and choose your pot
Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Add your wood (hickory or oak for bolder smoke; apple for a slightly sweeter, milder smoke).
Use a 6- to 8-quart cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven with a lid, or a deep disposable foil pan tightly covered with heavy-duty foil. The goal is a snug cover so the greens braise gently while still picking up smoke.
Step 2: Wash and cut the collards
Collards often hold grit. Rinse well, then soak in a large bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Lift the leaves out (so grit stays behind), drain, and repeat if needed.
Strip the tough center stems (fold a leaf in half and slice the stem out), then slice the leaves into 1-inch ribbons.
Step 3: Build the smoky braising base
In your smoker-safe pot or pan, add the diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, water, smoked pork hock, kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Pack the sliced collards on top. They’ll look like too much at first, but they collapse quickly as they cook.
Step 4: Smoke covered for the first tenderness stage
Cover tightly with the lid or heavy-duty foil and place the pot in the smoker at 250°F.
Smoke covered for 2 hours. This stage gently braises the collards and starts pulling flavor from the pork hock without drying anything out.
Step 5: Stir, re-cover, and smoke until silky
Carefully remove the pot (it’s hot and steamy), uncover, and stir from the bottom up so the onions and porky pot liquor move through the greens.
Cover again and return to the smoker for 1 more hour at 250°F, or until the collards are deeply tender and silky.
Step 6: Uncover to deepen smoke and slightly reduce
Uncover the pot and return it to the smoker for 30 minutes at 250°F. This concentrates the pot liquor a bit and lets a touch more smoke cling to the greens.
If your smoker runs very dry and you notice the liquid level dropping too low, stir in up to 1/2 cup additional water and keep cooking.
Step 7: Shred the pork and add the vinegar-hot sauce finish
Remove the pork hock to a plate. When it’s cool enough to handle, pull off the meat, shred or chop it into bite-size pieces, and discard the skin, bones, and excess fat as you prefer.
Stir the meat back into the collards. Add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp hot sauce. If using, stir in 1 tbsp light brown sugar and/or 1 tbsp unsalted butter for a more rounded, glossy finish.
Taste and adjust with additional salt, vinegar, and hot sauce. The flavor should be smoky and savory up front with a bright, tangy finish.
Pro Tips
- Keep it covered for tenderness: Most of the cook is a smoke-braise. Tight coverage prevents bitter, dried-out greens.
- Salt at the end if your hock is salty: Smoked hocks vary a lot. Start with the listed salt, then fine-tune after shredding the meat back in.
- Don’t skip the final vinegar: Adding vinegar at the end keeps the “kick” bright instead of muted by long cooking.
- Want more smoke? Use a foil cover for the first 2 hours, then crack the foil (leave a small vent) for the last hour.
- Make it party-friendly: Serve with a ladle so people can grab extra pot liquor for dipping cornbread.
Variations
- Turkey version: Swap the pork hock for 1 smoked turkey wing (about 1 to 1 1/2 lb). Keep the rest the same.
- Extra-spicy: Add 1 diced jalapeño with the onion and increase hot sauce to 2 tbsp. Finish with an extra 1 tbsp vinegar.
- Sweeter BBQ-style: Add 2 tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp tomato paste to the broth mixture for a subtle sweet-savory backbone.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Cool collards to room temperature (no more than 2 hours), then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, adding 2–4 tbsp water or broth if needed to loosen the pot liquor.
Make-ahead: These taste even better the next day. Cook fully, chill overnight, and reheat before serving. Before serving, refresh the flavor with 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Freezing: Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the stovetop.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate (varies by pork hock and brands): 210 calories, 13 g protein, 12 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 780 mg sodium.
