This post is from Thankful's husband A, who loves to cook.
Despite
basically spending all but the first two years of my life in Atlanta, I never
really ate collard greens, a classic southern staple.
With
age I have come to appreciate many dishes that would have sent me running for
the hills had I seen them anywhere near my family’s kitchen. I really got fired
up about collards after a New Year’s Day party a few years back. The hostess,
my friend’s mother, had prepared some fantastic greens and I decided it was
time to try my hand at them myself. As luck would have it, my first effort was
a remarkable success, giving me a somewhat deceptive culinary ego boost.
Future
attempts did not go as well, one of the problems I encountered while trying to
develop a recipe was the lack of details in most of the recipes I found online.
Each pretty much said boil some hocks or pork neck bones and toss in your
greens. Voila! Yeah, not so much.
The
vast majority of greens I have been served were prepared horribly. I can count
on one hand the restaurants at which I have enjoyed greens. They’ve been
bitter, gritty, scummy, cooked beyond all reason and any combination of the
above. Where to start? After all, I’m not trying to make them edible, I’m
trying to make them great.
The
constant in any recipe is pork. Being quite the fan of pork bbq, I decided
smoked hocks were my choice. Who doesn’t like a little smoky flavor? Rather
than just tossing a hock in boiling water and letting it fall to pieces, I opt
for a slow simmer to make a thick, full-bodied stock. This will take several
hours, so it’s worth doing a large batch. After cooking, then cooling in an ice
bath, I separate the stock into pint- or
quart-sized containers and freeze them for future use. This allows me to whip
up a batch rather quickly on a hectic weekday. You could also use chicken stock
if you wanted, but would you really want to?
I
typically use 2-3 hocks, a few stalks of celery, a medium onion (quartered), a
few cloves of garlic, half a tablespoon of black peppercorns and a bay leaf or
two, then cover the hocks a few inches over the top with cold water. Put them
on the stove on high and keep an eye on the pot, you DO NOT want this to come
to a boil. Once you see bubbles about the size of a pencil eraser, turn the
stove down to medium low and maintain that level of heat. After about 15
minutes, use a strainer or a spoon to skim the scummy grey layer on top, but
don’t stir the pot. Let the stock simmer for as long as 3 hours, skimming every
30 to 45 minutes.
At
this point you have some options. You could just add spices and throw in your
greens, but I don’t recommend it. The stock you have just made should be loaded
with flavor and gelatin, and the greens would be overwhelmed. I suggest
straining the stock and returning a pint to a quart to the pot, possibly along
with one of the hocks for good measure. Let the rest of the stock cool, then
portion it out and freeze.
Ice
Bath: To cool stock, don’t just place in the fridge while still warm, which
will drastically change the temperature conditions inside. Instead, place bowl
of stock in a slightly larger bowl, with a layer of ice between, until cooled
down.
A’s
Collard Greens
- Salt
– Start with a quarter cup for a large stock pot
- 1-2
onions, whatever kind you like
- 1
HEAD of garlic – that’s right, a whole head
- 1-2
tbs paprika
- 1-2
tsp chili powder
- 1
tbs whole black peppercorns
- 1-2
tsp cayenne
- 1-2
tsp mustard powder
- 2-3
bay leaves
- ½
to a whole lemon OR approximately ¼ c apple cider vinegar – you can also use a
combination of the two. I find one of these two to be important to countering
the bitterness in a lot of greens.
That’s
pretty much it – you can add any spices you choose, chives are a good addition
as is oregano and basil. I will use fresh cayenne peppers, jalapeños or even
habaneros when I can get them. Add all the seasoning to the pot, add water and
bring to a boil for 20-30 minutes.
While
the pot boils, prep the greens. Pre-cut and washed greens have become a common
sight in my local grocery and will save some time and effort. To go the fresh
route, get ready to do some washing. Greens are often quite sandy, so a good
soak in a sink full of salty water will help take that off and take care of any
bugs that might be in residence. Drain and give the greens another good rinse,
you don’t want to miss any dirt and sand.
Next,
remove the large veins that run down the center of the leaves, they don’t cook
evenly and aren’t particularly tasty. Hold the leaf at the base of the vein and
pull the leaf down. It should tear away from the vein fairly easily. Then tear
the leaves into smaller pieces.
Before
adding greens to the pot, you will want to taste the cooking liquid. It should
be a level or two spicier and saltier than you want the greens to end up. Basically,
it should taste like a grossly over-seasoned soup. If not, you will need to
adjust the spices accordingly. I like it to be a little less salty than sea
water and spicy enough to get your tongue tingling.
You
are now ready to boil some greens. Throw them in the pot a few handfuls at a
time and when they have wilted down, add a little more. Let them boil on medium
to med-high for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain greens with a slotted spoon, serve and enjoy!
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