Southern Style Boiled Greens

The late Bill Neal of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill inspired this one. Crook’s is a shrine to Southern food. Go there if you can.

7 or 8 cups of water
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
Small amount of red pepper flakes
One piece bacon diced
½ cup or more chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 pounds of greens

Wash greens well and cut off stems. Bring everything but the greens to a boil and cook 20 minutes. Add greens, turn stove down to simmer, and cook an hour. This is nice with hard-boiled eggs.
(To be really southern include 4 tablespoons of bacon fat.)