Best Memaws Collard Greens Recipes

MEMAW'S COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash greens in a sinkful of cold water.
• Break stems off an inch or two below leaf and discard.
• Tear/shred the leaves by hand and place them in a large cooking pot.
• Add bacon, 1/4 cup of sugar, and about 2 tablespoons of salt.
• Fill pot with water up to about 1 1/2 inches from top of pot.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally (water will cook off, so add more if necessary).
• After 2 hours, add more sugar (not more than 1/4 cup; I usually add slightly less) and more salt to taste.
• Fill the pot back to about half-full with water.
• Cover, boil, reduce heat, simmer, and stir occasionally for another 1 1/2-2 hours (if more water is needed, add only enough to keep about three fingers worth in the pot).
• Serve with a slotted spoon to drain away water and eat'em up (some folks eat'em with tabasco or pepper sauce).
• These are great as a side dish with fried chicken, country ham, meatloaf, turkey, roast, or as a companion to a big bowl of beans.
• I usually enjoy the leftovers with nothing but a pan of cornbread.

VEGETARIAN SOUTHERN-STYLE COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic, cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little smoked paprika and cider vinegar to taste if desired. Enjoy!

SPICY SOUTHERN COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• place all ingredients in a big pot and cover with water.
• simmer on low for at least one hour.
• Drain and serve.

BEST EVER COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Heat broth.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• If there is not enough broth to cover greens, add more.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat& simmer for about 3 hours.
• Remove bay leaves.

SOUTHERN STYLE COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Combine onions, ham hocks, and garlic in a stockpot; add chicken broth. Cook mixture over medium heat until meat is falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
• Stir collard greens, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper into the broth mixture; cook until greens have reached desired tenderness, about 2 more hours.

MAMA'S SOUTHERN COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in large boiler or stock pot.
• Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.

BRAISED COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Strip the collards off the stems and tear into pieces. Discard the stems.
• In a large stock pot, sauté the diced bacon over medium heat until it has rendered out most of its fat and has browned.
• Add the onions to the pot and sauté until browned.
• Add the greens a handful at a time, and sauté over medium heat, while stirring. Once one handful wilts, add the next handful. Continue until all the greens are wilted.
• Add the sliced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds - just until it becomes fragrant.
• Add 1 quart of the stock. If this is not enough to cover the greens, keep adding stock (or water, if you don't have any more stock) until the greens are covered.
• Add the bay leaves, sugar, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. A NOTE ON THE AMOUNT OF SALT TO USE: I use home made ham hock stock to make this, and the saltiness of the stock depends on the saltiness of the hocks they are made from (this can vary considerably). Because of this it is important to always taste the stock you are working with before adding any additional salt to the dish. If you are using store bought chicken stock, I would not add any salt at this point. I would cook the greens for 2 hours, and then taste to see if you need any additional salt. Store bought chicken stock is very salty, even the "less sodium" kind. You can always put more salt in, but you can't take it out, so go easy here.
• Bring to a boil and stir well. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Remove the bay leaves and taste the greens. If you think they need more salt, now is the time to add it.
• IF YOU ARE MAKING THE GREENS AHEAD OF TIME:.
• Leave the bay leaves in the pot. Taste and add more salt IF NEEDED. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you are ready to serve, re-heat the greens on the stove over medium heat. Remove the bay leaves before serving.