Rinse and Trim the Collard Greens. Thoroughly rinse and wash the collard greens to remove any grit. Trim the collard greens into ribbons, remove the stems, and set aside in a large bowl.

Collards can be pretty gritty and have lots of dirt clinging to them, so the rinsing and cleaning step is very important.

You’ll notice if any of the grit gets into the pot. It isn’t pleasant

Cook the Bacon. Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for 10 minutes, or until they begin to crisp up.

Cook the Onions, Peppers, Ham and Garlic. Add the onion and peppers (with a little olive oil, if needed – you should have plenty of bacon grease in the pan).

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring here and there, until softened.

Add garlic and ham. Cook for 1 minute.

Remaining Ingredients. Stir in the chicken stock or chicken broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, chili flakes, salt and pepper, hot sauce.

Add the collard greens to the pot.