Collard greens

[Allan Gray]

I'll have to admit that I'm a sucker for a big mess 'o greens. In fact I have a pot going right now.

Any other fans out there care to share their recipe or cooking method?
I cook mine with a shredded up ham hock. They usually come out a little too slimey for me. A local bbq place makes them nice and crisp with a great "liquor"...but the lady will not give me her secret!

I appeal to you Southern gentlemen. Any tips?

 

[renovato]

I do mine with a smoked ham hock too. The slimey part you mentioned may be due to the high gelatin content of the ham hock. If that's what's causing it, try boiling the hock for a while, then changing the water before you add the greens. I haven't tried that, but I think it would still contribute a lot of flavor, since it seems that the hock releases most of it's flavor into the water during the end of cooking. The bbq place is probably using young, tender collards that don't take as much cooking. The ones I generally find in the store take a heckuva lot of cooking, and the more tender parts of the leaves turn mushy.

I like to add chopped onion, a goodly dash of "cooking pepper" (any hot red pepper flakes) and a hint of rosemary and thyme. Sage would probably be a more traditional southern match to pork, but I haven't tried it. I love good collards.

 

[Bountyhunter]

Some of that slimy comes from over cookin them. Try cookin that ham hock in your pot of water first. Then cool it and skim the snot off of the water, then heat it back up and cook yer greens, but stop before they turn to mush.

 

[david50]

fried with bacon,onions and a bit of soy sauce served with rice and beans.

 

[shmrck1]

Mr.Gray,
I think that you might simply be over
cooking them.Cook just to the point that they
colapse and remove.Also as others have suggested
add them to heated water, or better yet a good
chicken or beef broth.I also like to add a bit of olive oil or butter to the heated broth.Just my
thoughts.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

snake you're right. again actually you must do some cooking. yeah my mom would fry some bacon and then saute a sliced onion in a large skillet then add the greens that she had washed well. and stir around wilting the greens down then add a cup of broth and simmer covered awhile. some rice, beans and piece of ham served with a plate of greens and yummy!

 

[Crossfire]

fry up some torn up chunks of thick smoked bacon till the pan is full of grease. add chopped up onions and cook in the bacon grease till just starting to brown on edges. pour off some of the grease. put in a mess of turnip greens, collard greens, dandelion greens and/or spinach. take off the heat and stir until greens are wilted and bacon and onions are mixed. Can't tell u they are healthy but boy are they good.
:thumbsup:

 

[crockett]

I really like collard greens, a little more "taste" than spinach but not as much as kale.

The ham/bacon is always good but try boiling dried lentils about forty minutes(no pre-soak) and then add in the collard greens. You want it like a stew rather than a soup. If you use fresh collards you can do this in camp. That's it, add some salt. No fat on this one.

 

[Robert58]

My Mother always put a few chunks of Salt Pork in her Greens.

Robert

 

[No Grease]

My grandma added sliced boiled eggs to hers.

 

[shmrck1]

Crossfire,
Man I sure like that recipe :thumbsup:
I remember eating dandelion greens mixed with
endive,spinich and onions.My mom covered it with
a micture of bacon greese,bacon,vinegar. As you
stated she called it wilted lettuce.
snake-eyes :thumbsup: