Collards, Onion-Southern Greens

Olive oil or other vegetable oil 1/2 medium onion, diced 2-inch piece of ham hock or other smoked meat 1 quart of water 1 bunch collard greens splash of white vinegar Tabasco/hot sauce to taste salt & Cajun seasoning (preferably Tony Chachere's) Put oil, diced onion, and ham hock in a cold pot. Turn heat to medium-low and sauté onions till translucent. Season generously with some salt and Cajun seasoning. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Cook ham hock uncovered for 60 minutes till meat begins to soften up and fall apart. Meanwhile, clean your greens by pulling or cutting them off the stem. Rinse under cold water to remove loose dirt, cut collards into 1 inch strips. After the 60 minutes, add your greens, taste and add a little more salt and Cajun seasoning (should still taste fairly UNDER seasoned after adding salt and Cajun seasoning) and simmer on low, covered, for about 5 hours. Make grits in the last hour of cooking (recipe below). The greens should be soft but not mushy. Taste broth again and add more salt to taste if needed. Add a splash of vinegar and Tabasco sauce. Optional: take out ham hock and shred/dice meat before putting back into greens. Ladle grits in bowls and use tongs or ladle to place greens over grits depending if you want it broth or not.