These Southern-style collard greens are simmered in a smoked pork broth flavored with onion, red pepper flakes, and other spices, and are guaranteed to bring some comforting home cooking to your dinner table.
As I recently wrote, “Greens are a labor of love—a sacred art form.” They are beloved by almost everyone with a connection to the South and are the epitome of both comfort and soul food. Many cooks have their own preferences when it comes to making collard greens, so feel free to adjust my recipe to your personal tastes, but this post should have just about everything you need to know on how to cook a batch of greens at home.
Can you eat the stems of collard greens?
Yes, you can! Whether or not you want to remove the stems from your collards greens is mostly about personal preference. (Sometimes you can tell they’re extra tough and it’s best for the stems to be removed.) Leaving the stem on will add more texture to the finished pot, whereas removing the stem leads to a silkier batch of greens. If you want to remove the stem, hold the stem with one hand and pinch along the the base of the leaf where it meets the stem with the other, run the hand pinching the leaf down the length of the stem, and voila! Now it’s time to clean them.
What is the best way to clean collard greens?
As with any leaf—from spinach to arugula to collard greens—you want to wash them first to remove any dirt or grit. Though you can often buy salad greens pre-washed, I’ve never seen collard greens sold this way. In order to clean collard greens, you should fill a large pot or the kitchen sink (depending on how many you are cooking) with cold water, add the leaves and move them around a bit to get any dirt to fall off and sink to the bottom, and then lift the greens out of the water, hopefully leaving all of the bad stuff behind. It’s best to repeat this process until the water left behind is clear.
How do you prepare collard greens?
If you want to take a more rustic route, then you can just tear the leaves by hand into bite-sized pieces. I, on the other hand, like to stack a few leaves on top of each other, roll them up into a log, and cut the collard greens into strips to your desired width. (Aka “chiffonade” for those familiar with culinary terms.)
Now it’s time to cook ’em!
What meat to cook with collard greens?
This recipe cooks collard greens in a flavored broth made of smoked pork neck bones, onion, and spices. I boil these ingredients in water for a purer pork flavor, but you can also use chicken stock if you prefer. To make the broth, you can also use salt pork, smoked ham hocks, or smoked turkey (necks, wings, or legs). This is the base of what is known as the potlikker (or pot liquor), the liquid left behind after cooking greens, and prized by all.
How long do you cook collard greens?
I like Southern-style greens to be nice and silky when they hit my lips. I’ve gone through three batches of collard greens to perfect this recipe. One time I purchased them from my local farmers’ market, and the other two, the greens came from the grocery store. For some reason, the farmers’ market collard greens cooked much faster than the grocery store greens—45 minutes versus upwards of 2 hours. I can’t say for certain that it depends on where you purchase them from, but I will say that it’s important for you to taste them as they cook!
What should I serve with collard greens?
Cornbread, baked macaroni and cheese, and ham are all classic options to serve with collard greens.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 6 cups)
Southern-Style Collard Greens Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
These Southern-style collard greens are guaranteed to bring some comforting home cooking to your dinner table.
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked pork neck bones (or other meat)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds collard greens, stems removed (if desired), washed, and cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or Sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Add the pork, onion, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to a large pot with 1 quart (4 cups) water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes to create the pork broth. (You should be able to wash and prepare the collard greens while you make the broth.)
- Add the cut collard greens to the pork broth, cover, and continue to simmer until nice and silky, anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours (or more).
- Remove the smoked pork neck bones, pick the meat off the bones into small pieces, and return the meat to the collard greens, discarding the bones. Add the vinegar, taste, and adjust the seasonings as you see fit. Serve.
