BRAISED SMOKED COLLARD GREENS WITH PEPPER VINEGAR

Braised Smoked Collard Greens With Pepper Vinegar image

Provided by Mashama Bailey

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced serrano chiles
1 pound pecan wood chips
7 pounds collard greens, stemmed and washed
1½ cups chopped red onions
1½ cups chopped white onions
1½ cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts
1 large shallot, sliced
1 quart olive oil
Salt
8 cups water

Steps:

To make the pepper vinegar: Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil and stir to dissolve. Add the chiles and cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight.
Smoke the collards in 2 batches: Preheat the oven to 200°F. To create a smoker, use two large aluminum pans. First, heat the wood chips in a cast-iron pan over hight heat, until they begin to smoke. Remove the cast-iron pan from the heat and place the hot wood chips in one of the aluminum pans. Then, using a small but sharp knife, punch holes in the bottom of the second pan and place it on top of the first pan with the wood chips inside. Add the collards to the top pan, place in the oven, and smoke for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a Dutch oven, sweat the red and white onions, leeks, and shallot with 2 cups of the olive oil and a nice pinch of salt. Add the smoked collards in increments until they cook down, then add more. Once all of the collards are in the pot, add the remaining oil and 8 cups of water. Cook, covered, on low heat, until done, about 1½ to 2 hours.
To serve: Dress the collard greens with the pepper vinegar to taste.