Collard Greens

By lamarandrose

Collard greens are an essential part of any Southern feast, and learning how to cook collard greens is a rite of passage for any Southern cook

Ingredients

• 2 bags washed and cut collard greens
• 1 lb. bacon, diced
• two onions, diced
• minced garlic
• 7 oz. smoked ham
• 2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 32 oz. chicken stock
• salt
• black pepper
• white pepper

Details

Adapted from favsouthernrecipies.com

Preparation

Step 1

1.Cook the bacon in a large stock pot for about 10 minutes.

2.Add the diced onion and cook for another 8 minutes. The onion should be soft and translucent.
3.Add the ham and garlic.
Cook for 1 minute
4.Add the stock, vinegar, seasonings, and some of the greens to the pot.
5.Stir the greens. As the greens wilt and cook down, slowly add more to the pot.

6.Cover the greens and cook for about 2 hours, or until the greens are tender.



Use the largest stock pot possible. Using a large pot will allow the bacon to get crispy, and it will also make adding all of the greens and liquid to the pot easier.

•Don't skimp on the vinegar. If you do not have apple cider vinegar on hand, substitute another light vinegar. The vinegar helps to make the greens tender.

•Ham hocks can be substituted for the diced, smoked ham. If using ham hocks, add them to the pot with the stock in step 4.

•The longer the greens cook, the better. Longer cooking times will result in tender greens with a lot of flavor.

•Make the collard greens your own by adjusting the seasonings to your taste preferences.