Southern Mixed Greens Recipes

JESSICA B. HARRIS' MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Wash mixed fresh greens well, picking them over to remove any brown spots or blemishes. Drain well. Discard any discolored outer leaves, and remove and discard thick ribs. Tear greens into 3- to 4-inch pieces.
• Place chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium, stirring often, until translucent and bottom of Dutch oven is coated with rendered bacon fat, about 8 minutes. Add greens and 6 cups water, and bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 2 hours. Stir in salt and pepper. Add desired toppings.

SOUTHERN COOKED GREENS

Steps:

• In a large pot, saute the bacon until slightly crisp. Add the onions and season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, until the onions are wilted and golden. Add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and vinegar and mix well. Begin adding the greens, a third at a time, pressing them down as they begin to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the greens are soft, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot.

SHERLA'S SOUTHERN GREENS

Steps:

• Hot sauce, such as Aardvark or your favorite
• Roughly chop the collards and kale into 1/2-inch pieces. Wash well under cold water. Drain and set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, add a film of olive oil followed by the turkey wings. Cook until the wings are just about crisped on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and a large pinch of salt and sweat until the vegetables are softened and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the greens along with the jalapenos, vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and cook until the greens are nicely wilted, 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and check the seasoning, adding salt and vinegar as needed. Add hot sauce to taste and serve.

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN GREENS (MUSTARD, TURNIP OR COLLARDS)

Steps:

• Fill sink with cold water.
• Put in greens, making sure they have room to float.
• The greens will rise to the top, while the dirt will sink.
• Let greens sit in water for about 20 minutes.
• Scoop out greens being careful not to stir up the dirt on bottom.
• If they still look dirty, change water and repeat process.
• Finish the cleaning by rinsing under running water.
• Tear greens into pieces, throwing away thick veins and stems.
• In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over med-high.
• Add the greens and toss well with bacon grease for a couple of minutes.
• Add ham stock, salt and pepper and sugar and stir.
• Cover and simmer gently until very tender (DO NOT BOIL).
• As the greens cook, they will produce a lot of liquid that will cook down. Add water as needed to prevent burning, but only use what is necessary so your pot liquor won't be watered down.
• Cook time will vary but usually about 3 hours The flavor of collards is much better if you can cook for about 6 hours.

CHEF SCOTT'S KICKIN' MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir bacon in hot oil until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pot, crumble, and return to the pot. Add onion to the bacon; cook and stir until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into the bacon mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens; cook and stir until the greens start to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth into the pot; season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover pot with a lid, and cook at a simmer until the greens are tender, about 45 minutes.

PERFECT MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Pull the leaf portions of the collard, mustard, and turnip greens away from the tough stems, and discard the stems. Gently wash the greens in warm water to remove all soil and sand. Partially fill a clean sink with warm water, and stir in 3 tablespoons of salt and 2 cups of chicken broth; allow greens to soak in the mixture for 10 minutes. Scoop up the greens and allow to drain in a colander; discard used chicken broth. Do not rinse the greens.
• Pour the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth into a large pot, and mix in the greens. Stir in vegetable oil, garlic, bacon bits, and sugar, and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the greens are tender, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.