Start by putting a large bowl on the counter. You're going to mix several of the ingredients before putting them into the slow cooker. First, wash and clean the collard greens. Remove the stem and discard (as they are quite tough) and chop the leaves into bite sized pieces, add to the bowl.

Peel & chop the onions. Add them to the bowl with the stewed tomatoes and drained can of hominy. (if you're not a hominy lover, you can substitute with the beans of your choice....but you really should try the hominy. :-) )

Add the spices to the bowl also, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Give everything in the bowl a good stir to combine.

Put the ham hock in the slow cooker and add the bowl full of ingredients over the ham hock. Add the chicken broth & water. Put the lid on the slow cooker, set on high and cook for 8 hours.

That's it - go to work, do your workout, take a nap, you name it. 8 hours later remove the ham hock and allow it to cool. When it's cool enough to handle, remove the meat and shred with a fork. Add the meat back to the stew (discarding the bones and fat). Taste to adjust seasonings. You may need to add some salt, but because the ham hock is salty, I encourage you to wait until the end to add it.