Southern Style Simmered Collard Greens

12 cups cleaned chopped collards
6 slices of salt pork or thick bacon
1 yellow onion, diced
1 ham hock or meaty ham bone
salt and black pepper to taste

Be sure the collard greens have been well washed and rinsed.  Then pull the leaves from the stems (discard the stems) and lay the leaves in a pile.  Roll them up and chop them with a sharp knife; set aside.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, cook salt pork or bacon until crispy, remove to a paper towel covered rack and set aside.
Add to the Dutch oven the collard greens, cooked salt pork or bacon, onion, ham hock or ham bone, salt, and pepper.
Add enough water to cover the collards and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Immediately reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer very gently until collards are tender, about 2 to 3 hours.
Serve hot with sprinkles of pepper vinegar if desired.