Classic Collard Greens
I have long been intimidated by collard greens – I thought they required obscure cuts of pork and needed to sit on the stove for hours. However, these leafy greens are available locally through the winter, so I scooped them up when I saw them at the farmers market. After all, there's only so much spinach and chard a girl can eat. And, I happily discovered collards require only 30 minutes of mostly hands off cooking - though you can certainly let them braise longer, if your prefer.
As always, a few notes: I opted for bacon, but many smoked meats would work nicely here. Ham hocks are traditional, but even smoked turkey would do. Try to use something without nitrates and (too much) added sugar or preservatives. These can also be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock, ad simply omitting the meat and sauteing the garlic in a little olive oil, and using smoked sea salt or hot sauce to get that quintessential deep, smoky flavor. These are also perfect for those of you following a paleo or gluten free diet.
I pair my greens with a poached egg, but I also love them with brisket or a lemony grilled chicken.
Classic Collard Greens
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: About 4 cups
Ingredients
1/4 pound slab bacon, coarsely diced
5 garlic cloves, slivered
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vinegary hot sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large bunch of collard greens (about 1 1/2 – 2lbs), stems removed and chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
Cook the diced bacon in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, until lightly browned around the edges but not totally crisped.
Leave the bacon (and the renderings) in the pot, and add the garlic, salt, black pepper. Cook for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the chicken broth, hot sauce and apple cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the collard greens and and bring to a simmer, then reduce the temp to medium-low.
Cook – stirring occasionally – until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness – at least 30 minutes. For more tender greens, cook for as long as desired.
