The most traditional way to cook up collards is to wash them well and then boil them in a really big pot with fatback. This method dates back to when most folks had gardens and loads of collards greens on hand plus big families where food had to be cooked in bulk. While cooking down collards in a pot is still a great way to make collard greens, smaller batches in a big skillet are quicker and easier to make.
Quick and Easy Southern Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients:
- Mess of collard greens (around 12 cups washed)
- 5 slices of bacon
- 1 TBS butter (if the bacon is pretty lean and does not leave much grease in the pan)
- 1 Vidalia onion or about ¾ cup (other types are okay too)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper (fresh ground is best)
- 2 TBS red wine vinegar
- Hot sauce
Directions:
- Wash collard greens well and allow to drain. Can also dab a bit with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- On chopping board, cut up center to remove hard stem from collards (since these do not cook a long time in a pot).
- Take collard green leaves and chop fairly fine.
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
- Remove bacon, crumble and save for end of recipe.
- Chop onion and sauté in the bacon grease (adding a little butter if the bottom of the skillet is not well covered with fat) until translucent or onions are clear looking.
- Add greens and stir to coat.
- Cover (clear lid is good for checking) and cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until collards are soft and limp but still bright green.
- Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and splash on the red wine vinegar (may want more than listed – suit to taste).
- Add a little hot sauce like Louisiana brand hot sauce. Go light, until you see hot much bite you like in the greens.
Collard greens are often served with pinto beans or black eyed peas and cornbread for a meatless meal. Sliced fresh tomatoes round the meal out. Sweet iced tea, of course, is the beverage of choice in the South, although some folks crumble up the cornbread in buttermilk (mostly older people).
Some other good recipes that work well with Skillet Collard Greens include:
Electric Skillet Meatloaf - If you like the crusty ends on the meat loaf, then this recipe has more of the darker part but is still moist and flavorful. When slices of meatloaf are left over, they are traditionally served cold on white bread the next day for lunch or even dinner.
Southern Four Bean Salad - This bean salad is a cold dish. It is made ahead and ready when you make a quick stove top recipe like Skillet Collards. As with the pintos or black eyed peas, this adds protein to the meal and is a filling dish.
Beer Boiled Shrimp - For guests from other places, a combo with seafood like fried fish or shrimp makes a nice company meal with a Southern flavor.
Fried Frog Legs - If you want to get real backwoods, then fry up some frog legs. They really do taste sort of like chicken but much better.
 |
