Southern Comfort Ramen

When fusion cooking was invented, this was the recipe they had in mind. Ham hocks can be swapped out for any other slow-braise cut of meat, but that depends if you want this to be more ramen or collard greens. Chef's choice!

Ingredients

1 (1 1/2-lb) bunch collard greens

1 tbsp olive oil

4 bacon slices

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 lb smoked ham hocks, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 oz) bourbon

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 cups cold water

4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

12 oz fresh or dried ramen noodles (or instant ramen, flavor packets discarded)

4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and halved

8 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges

2 tsp shichimi togarashi

Preparation

1. Strip the stems from the collard greens by folding each leaf in half along the stem and pulling it free. Cut the leaves into 2-inch squares (about 14 cups) and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving all the drippings in the pot. Crumble and set aside.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the drippings and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the ham hocks and sear until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning every 45 seconds. Pour in the bourbon and vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add the water and bring to a simmer.

4. Season the broth with salt and pepper. Add the collards in large handfuls, stirring each addition until just wilted, 2–3 minutes, before adding the next. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until the collards are completely tender, about 1 hour.

5. Remove the ham hocks and let cool until handleable. Pull the meat from the bones using two forks or your hands, discarding the bones and skin. Chop the meat roughly and return it to the pot.

6. If using fresh or dried ramen noodles, cook in a separate pot of generously salted boiling water according to package directions, then drain. If using instant noodles, add directly to the broth for the final 2–3 minutes of cooking. To assemble: divide the soy sauce evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle 1 1/4 cups of the broth and collards into each bowl. Divide the noodles evenly among the bowls and stir once or twice to combine.

7. Top each bowl with the ham hock meat, a squeeze of lime, sliced scallions, crumbled bacon, a halved hard-boiled egg, and a pinch of shichimi togarashi. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

For the hard-boiled eggs: bring a small pot of water to a boil, lower in the eggs, and cook for exactly 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice bath and peel when cool.

Maker's Mark bourbon works particularly well here — it's a little sweet, which complements the brine of the collards.