Chop the garlic and place it in a pot with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until soft over medium heat.
Place the ham hock in the pot with chicken broth. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove the hock from the pot and stir in the chopped collard greens. Continue to let simmer for another 45 minutes. While the greens are simmering, remove the meat from the bone of the hock and return it to the pot with the greens (there is only a small bit of meat but it’s worth saving).
Once the greens are tender (about 45 minutes), serve using a slotted spoon to let the extra broth fall away. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.
OR Continue to let the greens simmer without a lid for 1-2 hrs or until the broth has reduced in volume by at least half. This will produce an extra rich broth and super tender greens. The choice is yours.