Just like my mom used to cook.
- 1/2 12oz. package pork bacon chopped into good-size pieces
- 1 red onions chopped into good-size pieces
- 1 can (12 oz) chicken broth (homemade is even better)
- 1 bunch collard greens (i just fold each leaf in half and tear them down the middle lea
- salt, pepper
- 1 tblspoons brown sugar
- 1 tblspoons cayenne
- Carbohydrate 4.32 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.16 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat 0.6444 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (363g)
- Sodium 1270.74 mg
- Sugar 4.32 g
- Trans Fat 0.0756 g
- Calories 58 calories
Step-by-step
- In a big pot w/lid, over medium high heat add all the bacon, and cook until done but not yet crispy. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add onions to pot and cook them through. About 5-6 minutes
- Add the broth, and collards tearing leave smaller (I just tear the leaves right over the pot)
- Turn heat down to simmer, and let them cook for 30 minuties. I do not like a lot of soup in this recipe. Although the soup is very good on my cornbread "Vern's Skillet Cheddar Cornbread Recipe"
- Season with the salt/pepper/brown sugar/cayenne once it''s cooked a while. Stir until blended well. Cook for about 15 minutes more.
- Some people like them more firm (30 minutes or so), but some may cook them for two or three hours,
- It's all about the teast.
- Also have another recipe coming soon for
- Vern's Southern Style Turnip Green
Unlike delicate spring greens that wilt in seconds, sturdy brassicas require a deliberate approach to break down their fibrous cell walls without dissolving into a bitter mush. Rendering the pork bacon over medium-high heat for three to four minutes establishes a foundation of rendered fat, which coats the pan and subsequently softens the chopped red onions during their five-to-six-minute sweat. Simmering the torn collard leaves in chicken broth for thirty minutes concentrates the pot liquor while maintaining a distinct structural bite.
- Render the bacon only until cooked through rather than fully crisp so the meat retains enough moisture to absorb surrounding flavors during the simmer.
- Tear the collard leaves directly over the pot into manageable pieces, discarding any excessively thick bottom stems that fail to soften within the cooking window.
- Add the brown sugar and cayenne after the greens have already cooked for thirty minutes, allowing the seasoning to dissolve evenly into the reduced liquid.
- Adjust the final cooking time depending on textural preference; while thirty minutes yields a firmer vegetable, extending the simmer allows the greens to absorb maximum savory depth.
Common errors include over-salting before the broth reduces or boiling the greens too vigorously over high heat, which can make the leaves unpleasantly bitter. Careful heat management ensures the smoky fat and peppery heat integrate smoothly into the pot liquor.
