I don’t know another vegetable that grows as vigorously in Florida as collards. I plant them in October. Now it’s April; they’re huge. I’m trying to convince everyone to help me eat them.
This recipe is a good way to use up a big pile of greens. It’s got all the flavor of Southern cooked greens, including some delicious pot liquor, without being overcooked in pork fat. A friend told me cooking greens in coconut oil mellows out the bitterness. I think she’s right.
The stems on collards, especially big older leaves, can be tough. I take off the part that extends beyond the leaf, plus an extra inch that’s connected to the leaf.
Braised Collards with Smoke and Spice
Ingredients:
- 10 cups collards, trimmed and sliced into 2″ pieces
- 1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 can of cannellini beans, drained (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Crystal hot sauce (because it’s the best)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6-8 drops of liquid smoke
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid over medium-low. Slowly sauté the onions, stirring them until they get soft and wrap around the spoon. Raise the heat to medium. Add the collards and give them a big stir, mixing the onions up from the bottom. Close the lid for a couple minutes to allow them to cook down a bit. Keep stirring them occasionally. Once they become wilted but bright green, add the tomato and beans. Next add the salt and liquid smoke. Shake in the Crystal. I use at least a tablespoon but you can start with less and add more later to taste. Simmer on low for a few more minutes or until you’re ready to serve.
