Quick Southern Collard Greens
I've always cooked greens for hours, and I found a way to cook the southern home style greens for only 45 minutes. These greens taste as good as the ones that take all day to cook. For the Moms with limited time to cook, here is an alternative way to cook healthy good greens.
I've always cooked greens for hours, and I found a way to cook the southern home style greens for only 45 minutes. These greens taste as good as the ones that take all day to cook. For the Moms with limited time to cook, here is an alternative way to cook healthy good greens.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.843749999286735 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0.116504999901512 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (3g)
- Sodium 0.0168749999857347 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0.0228487499806849 g
- Calories 7 calories
Step-by-step
- Remove the main vein.
- Stack the about 4-5 eaves and cut them down the center, stack the two halves, then cut the leaves in strips diagonal and cut the strips vertical, to create squares.
- Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium size skillet on medium high heat.
- Place the collard greens in the skillet, stir and sauté for 15 minutes.
- Fill the stock pot with Chicken stock, chopped garlic, chopped onions, one tablespoon of olive oil and turkey neck, cover and bring to a boil.
- Add the greens and hot sauce to the stock pot, lower the heat to low/ simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
- If it looks like the greens are drying out add a little more chicken stock.
Deep emerald leaves tenderize into a silky texture while absorbing the savory depth of rendered turkey fat and aromatic chicken broth. Traditional preparations often require simmering for three hours or longer to break down the fibrous plant walls of Brassica oleracea. Modern adaptations bypass this marathon by utilizing a two-stage cooking method that combines rapid initial wilting with a concentrated simmer.
Sautéing the greens in olive oil over medium-high heat for 15 minutes drives off excess moisture and initiates softening before the leaves ever touch the liquid. This essential step shrinks the volume of four dense bunches down significantly while concentrating their natural, slightly bitter compounds. Skipping this preliminary pan-fry results in tough greens that fail to absorb the surrounding seasoned broth properly during the final simmer.
Simmering the pre-cooked leaves in four cups of stock alongside a smoked turkey neck infuses collagen into the pot without requiring hours of breakdown time. Maintaining a low, steady simmer prevents the delicate leaves from turning to mush while ensuring the connective tissues render fully. Monitor the liquid level during this 45-minute phase, adding extra stock if the pot appears dry.
Determining doneness relies entirely on physical inspection rather than internal temperature tools. Pinch a central strip between two fingers; the tissue should yield immediately with zero resistance while retaining a cohesive shape. Once achieved, ladle the greens into bowls immediately or transfer them to airtight glass containers for refrigeration up to four days.
