Recipe(tried): Collard and Mustard Greens in Ham Hock Gravy for Cathy, FL

COLLARD AND MUSTARD GREENS IN HAM HOCK GRAVY
Adapted from source: Emeril Lagasse
Yield: 8-10 servings

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces beer (any type)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
8 cups chicken stock
3 pounds ham hocks (about 4 medium hocks)*
2 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds) collard greens, thoroughly washed, picked over for blemished leaves, and tough stems removed*
2 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds) mustard greens, thoroughly washed, picked over for blemished leaves, and tough stems removed*
1 cup water

Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook until softened.

Add flour, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add beer, and then add all the remaining ingredients, adding the greens by the handful until all of them are combined in the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until the hocks are very tender, about 2 hours. Remove the ham hocks after about 1 1/2 hours. Cool.

When the hocks are cool enough to handle cut the meat off the bone. Dice the meat and return it to the greens. Discard the fat and bones. Remove the bay leaves and serve warm.

*MY NOTES:
- I halved this recipe so, basically, I halved all ingredients.

- If you don't want to use beer you could add 1/2-1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, to taste, instead.

- I used two ham hocks.

- Instead of using fresh greens, in order to simplify the recipe, I used two, 1 pound packages of frozen turnip greens since DH and I like them better than collard greens.

- If you can find it, serve pepper sauce such as Texas Pete's Pepper Sauce (or some other brand) with the greens. This condiment is not a hot sauce but rather Tabasco peppers in vinegar. I just put the bottle on the table so each person can sprinkle the amount they like on the greens. You could probably substitute red wine vinegar instead. It cuts the richness of the greens a bit. I can't find it here so I buy it when we visit our daughter in Washington, DC. It can easily be found in Louisiana, and probably most of the South.