Country-Style Greens - Makes 6 servings
From Cooking A to Z - by Jane Horn
- 2 bunches fresh collards (can use turnip or mustard greens)
- 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1/4 pound good-quality smoked slab bacon or thick-cut bacon, diced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Dash of hot sauce
Heat bacon fat in large, heavy nonreactive pot. Add onion and bacon. Fry together over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are soft and bacon begins to brown.
Add greens and 2 cups water and bring to boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until greens are tender but still have a little crunch, about 20 minutes.
Uncover, raise heat to high and boil off some of excess water (about 5 minutes; greens should still be soupy). Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and serve hot.
Pot O' Greens - Makes 4 to 6 servings
From Good Old Grits Cookbook - by Bill Neal and David Perry
When it comes to Southern dishes, the late Bill Neal of Chapel Hill has never steered us wrong. The hominy is optional, but don't miss the incredible pot likker. Definitely serve this one with lots of corn bread for sopping.
- 1 dried hot red pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 pound (about 2) smoked ham hocks
- 2 1/2 pounds collards
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Cider vinegar
Trim and discard thick stems from collards. Wash leaves in several changes of water until all grit is gone. Chop greens roughly and add to pot with sugar. Simmer over gentle heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove ham hocks and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pick any meat from hocks (there won't be more than a few tablespoons), chop it and add to pot. Add hominy, if using, and cook about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot with cider vinegar.
Creamed Collards - Makes about 4 servings
From Parsley Peppers Potatoes and Peas, by Pat Katz. It sounds odd, but it tastes good. After all, people cream spinach, don't they? Non-collard lovers might find it more appealing than plain collards.
- 1 large or 2 small bunches collards
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 1% or whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Several drops hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
With water clinging to leaves, put into pot, cover and place on medium-high heat. Cook about 5 minutes. Uncover and turn the mass of leaves, replace cover and cook about 5 minutes longer, until leaves are wilted but still bright green. Set aside.
While collards are cooking, prepare cream sauce. In separate pot, saute onion in butter until golden. Stir in flour and cook about 1 minute. Stir in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook until thickened. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir in hot, cooked collards and serve immediately.
Sylvia's Collard Greens
From Sylvia's Soul Food Cookbook
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 4 cups water
- 2 pounds collard greens
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup bacon drippings
the water. Heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and
simmer for 45 minutes. Skim the foam from the broth once or twice.
2) Meanwhile, prepare the collards: Cut away the very thick part of stems.
Wash the collard greens thoroughly - They can be very gritty. Drain them by
shaking off any excess water and chop them into small pieces. Stir the
collard greens into the pot and add the salt, red pepper, and sugar. Drizzle
all with the bacon drippings. Cook, covered, at a lively simmer
until the collard greens are tender, about 20 minutes.
3) Turn off the heat and check the seasonings. Cover the pot and let the
collard greens sit a few minutes before serving.
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