Cooking Collard Greens

I've had a request on how to cook collard greens. This works for any large leafed greens - collards, mustard or turnip greens.

The first thing I do is pull the leaves apart (if they are in a bunch) and place them in the kitchen sink and cover with water. I let them soak in the sink for about 30 minutes - this kills any unwanted protein (aka bugs).

Fold this side "in"

Then I strip the stem; fold the leaf in half so that it's smooth side is to the inside of the fold. Then grab the stem at the base and pull up; removing the stem completely and leaving only the "meaty" part of the leaf. Do this until they are all cleaned; place them in a large bowl as you work. Once they are all de-stemmed you will again rinse them in the sink.

Now the real secret to GREAT tasting greens. You will need to get a large pot (big enough for all the greens you just cleaned); in it you will fry up some hog jowls, fat back or any really good salted side meat or pork belly. (In a pinch I've even used bacon)

I bought this package today so that I can cook up some mustard greens this next week. I will cut this into thin strips before frying it up.

Once it's crisp remove the meat and keep to the side. In the pan - leave the grease and add the greens layering in some of the cooked meat; you want it's flavor throughout the greens. Be sure to add enough water so that when you look down in the pan it's about 1-2 inches deep AFTER you have added all the greens. The Greens will hold some of the rinse water but you may need to add a bit more.

Bring the greens to a boil. Give them a good push around to be sure none have stuck down to the pan and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Now comes the patience. Simmer an hour or two being sure to check on a regular basis so they don't cook down and burn. I stir with a large fork as the leaves wilt down. Once they've cooked down well you can cut them up in whatever size pieces you like. I cut through them in the pot about every 3" in each direction and that is it. GOOD EAT'N!