I didn’t fall in love with greens until shortly after I married, when a friend of my husband’s brought greens as his contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. He was from Texas and his greens were steeped in the drippings of freshly fried bacon and topped with the crumbles. Those greens were so good that if the man hadn’t been gay, I might have lost my bearings. As it was, I've had to be content with his recipe.
I serve my greens in a gray/green glazed greens bowl, (I dare you to say it five times real fast.), made by an old friend who happens to be a most excellent potter. A worthy vessel, it provides a splendid backdrop for a dish commonly so plain it needs one. (The greens sort of slip into the finish, and the blush of clay peeping through the glaze echos the crisp red brown of the bacon.) I guarantee you, these greens don’t just look better than yours; they are better than yours.
MY GREENS ARE BETTER THAN YOUR GREENS, GREENS
2 bunches collard greens
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch kale
1 bunch chard
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 large celery stalks, diced
1/2 pound bacon
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
Most greens we buy today are pre-washed, but you’ll want to wash them anyway, at least once, because the dirty little secret of cooking greens is that they are, well, usually quite dirty. Also you can buy packaged greens that have already been cut up, but I don’t advise it. They’re full of stalks and stems and take as long to pick over as preparing them from scratch. (My Mother always said you could tell a lazy cook by the number of stems in her greens.)
Wash greens and tear into bite size pieces, making sure to remove all stalks, stems and large ribs.
Brown bacon in a large pan or pot. (I use an 8 1/2 quart saucier pan.) Drain bacon and reserve.
Drain about half (or more -- leaving about 3 tablespoons) of the bacon grease from pan and discard. Add chopped vegetables to pan and sauté over medium heat until soft (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Add prepared greens, a few at a time, (the greens cook down quickly, making room for more), until all greens have been added to pot.
Throw in that ham hock (if using), lower heat and braise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how tender you like them.
Crumble the reserved bacon, add to greens and serve.
Most greens we buy today are pre-washed, but you’ll want to wash them anyway, at least once, because the dirty little secret of cooking greens is that they are, well, usually quite dirty. Also you can buy packaged greens that have already been cut up, but I don’t advise it. They’re full of stalks and stems and take as long to pick over as preparing them from scratch. (My Mother always said you could tell a lazy cook by the number of stems in her greens.)
Wash greens and tear into bite size pieces, making sure to remove all stalks, stems and large ribs.
Brown bacon in a large pan or pot. (I use an 8 1/2 quart saucier pan.) Drain bacon and reserve.
Drain about half (or more -- leaving about 3 tablespoons) of the bacon grease from pan and discard. Add chopped vegetables to pan and sauté over medium heat until soft (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Add prepared greens, a few at a time, (the greens cook down quickly, making room for more), until all greens have been added to pot.
Throw in that ham hock (if using), lower heat and braise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how tender you like them.
Crumble the reserved bacon, add to greens and serve.
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