Collard Greens A La Carol Recipes

COLLARD GREENS A LA CAROL

Steps:

• Fill large bowl with cold tap water.
• Soak collard greens in water, take out, and then rinse.
• Do this several times until no dirt is at bottom of bowl after washing.
• Rip thick stem from center of greens (its OK if a little thin stem is left).
• I usually accomplish this by folding green in half with stem sticking straight up, and ripping down and towards me.
• Chop onions and fry over medium heat in a deep frying pan for a few minutes.
• In the meantime, chop or tear collard greens into pieces and its okay.
• if they're big pieces, as they will shrink.
• Add greens to onions, and then add chopped garlic (as desired) and salt (and pepper if desired) on top of them.
• Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Let steam a few minutes.
• Check frequently and stir.
• The key to good collard greens is to not undercook them!!!
• Stir frequently and cover between stirrings.

LOUISIANA COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• To prepare greens, cut away the tough stalks and remove all stems from the collards. Discard any leaves that are bruised or yellow. Wash the collards thoroughly to remove the grit, 2 or 3 times, until the water runs clear. Dry thoroughly -- you can do this easily by rolling them up in a clean dish towel. (I sometimes use two bags of pre-cut and prewashed collard green pieces from the produce section, but I still break off any large pieces of stem as they tend to be tough even after cooking.).
• Place a large pot or cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. When it is heated, add the onion, bay leaves and ham hock. (If using bacon, cook beforehand and then add when the greens go in.) Cook the mixture until the onions are soft and are starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes. To prevent the garlic from burning, add it just a few minutes before the onions are done.
• Pack in greens, pushing them down into the pot. Add the broth, vinegar and sugar. Bring up to a boil, turning the greens over occasionally with a wooden spoon as they wilt. Lower to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 1 hour. Taste the "pot liquor" (broth) and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.
• Cover again and let cook for an additional 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Some recipes use a lot less cooking time, but this additional time really helps all the flavors come together. (If using the bagged pre-cut collard greens, they may only have to cook for another 1 to 2 hours.) Remove the bay leaves and ham hock, dicing up and adding any meat from the ham hock, drain off excess cooking liquid, and serve.

GRANDMA'S COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Cook onion and bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until onions are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock, vinegar, brown sugar, and pepper flakes and cook and stir until brown sugar has completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add 1/2 of the collard greens, reduce heat to medium, and cook until greens are slightly wilted, about 10 minutes. Add remaining greens, toss to combine, and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.