Redneck Collards

[gran398]

Gosh do I love collards. Here's an easy recipe derived from a bunch of different recipes, Paula Dean's included. You want to try and cook this outside, maintaining marital harmony:

young collards, 2 to 3 heads, stripped from heavy stems, washed
sweet onion, 1 large or 2 small, Vidalia best
smoked ham necks (meatier than hocks) or smoked turkey drumsticks
chicken stock,  22 oz. box
spring water (2 to 3 bottles)
ham base(short glass jar at the grocers)
liquid smoke
baking soda, 1 tsp. (keeps them green)
brown sugar, or white sugar
cayenne pepper
salt

In a big Dutch oven, saute sliced onion in a small amount of oil.
 
Roll collard leaves into "cigars", slice across so collards come out in strips, wash again, set aside.

Add to the pot the meat, chicken stock, one bottle water, 1 tsp. ham base, and six or eight drops of liquid smoke. Need about 2 quarts liquid total. Bring all to boil.

Reduce heat to med-low, cover, stew 30 minutes.

Remove meat to cool.

Add 1 tsp. baking soda to pot.

Add collard slices, 1 tsp. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne. Bring to boil.

Cook 15 min. partially covered, stirring. Add more bottled water as needed. DO NOT SCALD. Break down/shred meat, add back to pot. Stew 20-30 minutes more, longer if collards are older. Render fat from pot with big spoon. Check flavor; add salt (careful, the ham has plenty) pepper to taste.

Remove all to colander, lightly drain.

Getcha some cornbread, some hot pepper vinegar, and some BBQ.

Edited  2-16-11, to tweak.

[John Jones]

That got my mouth watering.  Never had them with smoke flavoring.  

I married a damn yankee.  Dang good cook but she will not eat or cook greens of any kind.  She is one of those that only ate the turnip root.    Her first month in Alabama my sister-in-law served up some turnip greens that were kind of bitter and that ruined it for her, not to mention watching S-I-L and my mom pick the bugs off the fresh greens.  ;)

At least she likes okra in any fashion.

[gran398]

Fix you up a mess! You really don't want to taste the liquid smoke  (its really just a small shake)   kinda like your fish recipe with the cayenne. You realize something tastes good, but you can't put your finger on it....

I married a girl from parts elsewhere too. I'm not quite sure where she's from, not sure she is either. They moved around a lot when she was a kid. I tell her she's from "Pennsyltucky."

She's not much on cookin'. Pretty and sweet tho. ...

[John Jones]

Pretty and sweet tho. ...

That goes a long way.

Mine is from Eastern PA.  I don't think she had ever been south past Delaware until she followed me home.

[flkeysaqua]

Pretty and sweet tho. ...

That goes a long way.

Mine is from Eastern PA.  I don't think she had ever been south past Delaware until she followed me home.

 Same here mines from Scranton lol

[gran398]

Speaking of our Yankee wives, and to paraphrase the Beach Boy's old classic..."California Girls"

"And the Northern girls, with the way they kiss, they keep their boyfriends warm at night."

Oh my.....Go Collards!

[slvrlng]

Did I leave a beer over here?

[gran398]

Thought I saw some old soldiers back there in the stern livewell....

[gran398]

Guys, made a little change tonight.

One of my close friends is of Greek descent, his grandaddy owned restaurants here forever.

He says to add baking soda when you put the collards in the pot, to preserve the rich green color.

I'm happy to report that it works.

Have been cooking collards per this recipe all winter, and when folks ask for the recipe, have directed them here. Hope that's cool...a buncha other great recipes on this blog, hopefully they'll spend some time looking.

[gran398]

The bride has been "growing her own" (collards). Noticed with her fresh young collards, because of the moisture content....cut the collard cooking time (at the end) in half so doesn't get mushy, 20 minutes max.

Older big leaf store-bought collards, go with the original 40-45 minute stew time.

[gran398]

You guys are probably sick of this thread by now...

But because the bride is not a fan of smoked ham products, switched it up a bit last night and went with smoked turkey drumsticks.

She liked them quite a bit better.