This is something we all grew up with and something I crave in the springtime. Especially when we're seeing the fresh mustard greens in the store.

SOUTHERN GREENS AND POT LIKKER

1 ham hock or 4 strips of bacon, diced, or 2 ounces diced salt
pork
1 pound turnip, mustard or collard greens
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced or quartered
In a large pot combine ham hock and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, adding water as needed to maintain 2 cups. If using bacon or salt pork, fry in the pot until crisp. Remove bacon or salt pork from the drippings. Add water to the rendered fat.
While ham hock cooks, wash the greens, removing stems and discolored leaves. Tear greens into pieces.
Skim fat from the ham hock liquid. Remove the hocks and cut meat into small pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Return meat to the liquid and add the dried pepper flakes. Place greens in the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 to 35 minutes. Garnish with eggs. Serve with pepper sauce or vinegar. Pot likker is excellent spooned over cornbread.

Lord have mercy!

My family used to make poke salad like this.

Oh heck yeah, just like I make them. I eat from a big bowl and chunk up my cornbread in it. I add some hot spicy vinegar from a jar of pickled chilis.

thank you.....thank you..........thank you

The thing about pot likker, a high end restaurant will call it vegetable juice,
and charge a huge price for it

We called this Turnip Salad in N. Carolina. Picked fresh out of the garden, put in a #2 washtub with water and a lot of salt. Why salt? It knocks the bugs off the leaves when washing. Wash 2-3 times in clean water and cook w/o all the meat stuff. If ya want to cut down on smell (usually cooking collards by themselves), throw in a whole pecan!! It works. I personally don't mind the smell. My lady friend did the greens cooking and not sure of the spices added.Never noticed any meat tho. The vinegar sauce is a must for me. Folks also grow Khale to put in the pot with the above too. The turnip itself went to the Hogs...

I use a lot of chopped bacon im mine, along with chopped onion, a tsp of sugar, and a tsp of cider vinegar.