The holidays are here and it’s that time of the year where there will be countless family events, potlucks, dinner parties, etc. There are some recipes that just have to be on my table during the holidays, and collard greens are definitely one of them.
What are collard greens ?
Collard greens are a leafy vegetable that is more common to southern food culture. It’s a staple “soul food” dish that is served in households and restaurants all over the United States. It has long leafs and stems, and while most people cook them with the stems, my method of cooking it-which was taught to me by my mother does not use the stems.
How do you cut collard greens?
Using a sharp knife, cut the leaves off the stems of the collard greens -roll about 3-4 leaves like a cigar and slice them
How do you clean collard greens ?
After cutting them , Wash the collard greens in water and vinegar 2-3 times to get all the grit and dirt off the collard greens -drain and set aside.
The water should be clear -that is how you will know they are clean
Ingredients
- 1 -1.5 pound smoked pork neck bones or smoked turkey
- 2 -3 pounds of collard greens , cleaned and chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add about 8 cups of water to a large pot and boil the smoked meat for 2-2.5 hours
- Remove from heat then remove the smoked meat from the pot and set it aside
- When the meat is cool, remove the meat from the bones and set it aside
- Reserve 3 cups of the liquid from the pot (we will be using it for the greens) and discard the rest of the liquid
- In a large pot , heat olive oil for about 2-3 minutes then add the garlic, onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper
- Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until it’s tender
- Add collard greens and reserved liquid then stir well
- Add the smoked meat and vinegar then stir well
- season with seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder then stir well
- Allow the greens to cook for 1 hour on medium low heat
- Taste the greens and determine if they are seasoned to your liking , if not add more seasoned salt and pepper
- Cook for another 15-20 minutes then remove from heat
- Serve and enjoy !
Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 -1.5 pound Smoked pork neck bones or smoked turkey
- 2 -3 pounds Collard greens , cleaned and chopped
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ Medium red onion, diced
- 1 Small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ Medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon Garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons White vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Seasoned salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add about 8 cups of water to a large pot and boil the smoked meat for 2-2.5 hours
- Remove from heat then remove the smoked meat from the pot and set it aside
- When the meat is cool, remove the meat from the bones and set it aside
- Reserve 3 cups of the liquid from the pot (we will be using it for the greens) and discard the rest of the liquid
- In a large pot , heat olive oil for about 2-3 minutes then add the garlic, onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper
- Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until it's tender
- Add collard greens and reserved liquid then stir well
- Add the smoked meat and vinegar then stir well
- season with seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder then stir well
- Allow the greens to cook for 1 hour on medium low heat
- Taste the greens and determine if they are seasoned to your liking , if not add more seasoned salt and pepper
- Cook for another 15-20 minutes then remove from heat
- Serve and enjoy !