Braised Collards with Smoke and Spice


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.

collards and crystal

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.

collards


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.