Tiffany Haney
Collard greens are a staple of Southern cuisine, with a history rooted in the gardens of enslaved Africans. The traditional preparation method involves slow-cooking the greens to create a savoury pot liquor, also known as pot likkur or pot likker—a flavourful broth that is considered a delicacy in its own right. While there are countless variations on the recipe, the fundamental steps involve cleaning and preparing the collards, sautéing aromatics and meat, and then simmering the greens until tender. The key to a perfect pot of collards is in the cooking time and temperature—a low and slow approach yields the best results.
How to cook collards in a pot
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Preparation | Wash collard greens thoroughly to remove sand and dirt. Remove the tough stems. |
| Ingredients | Collard greens, water, broth, meat (e.g. ham hock, bacon, smoked turkey leg), onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar, bouillon cubes |
| Cooking Method | Sauté onions and meat in oil or grease. Add collard greens and other ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer or braise for 1-4 hours. |
| Serving Suggestions | Serve with cornbread, rice, mashed potatoes, or gravy. Pot likker (the broth at the bottom of the pot) can be drunk or used in other recipes. |
| Storage | Collard greens can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3-6 months. |
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What You'll Learn
Prepare the collard greens
Preparing collard greens for cooking involves a thorough cleaning process. Start by giving each leaf a good rinse under running water. Then, fill a clean sink or a large bowl with cold water and soak the leaves, swishing them around to remove any dirt. Lift out each leaf, taking care not to pour the dirty water back over them.
Once the collard greens are cleaned, it's time to remove the tough stems. There are two common methods to do this:
- Method 1: Fold the leaf in half lengthwise and cut out the stem with a knife, or tear it away from the stem using your hands.
- Method 2: Hold the stem at the bottom with one hand and slide your other hand firmly up the stem, removing the leaf.
If you want to eat the stems, you can cook them separately as they will take longer to become tender.
After removing the stems, you can cut or tear the leaves into smaller pieces, depending on your preferred size for cooking.
At this point, you can proceed with your chosen collard greens recipe. Some popular ingredients to add flavor to collard greens include garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, vinegar, bacon or bacon grease, ham hock, and various seasonings.
Remember to adjust the recipe to your taste preferences and feel free to experiment with different ingredients and cooking methods!
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Make the pot liquor
Making the pot liquor, or pot likkur, is an important step in cooking collard greens. It is the broth that becomes infused with the flavours of the other ingredients, such as onions, garlic, and smoked ham hock. The process of making the pot liquor involves boiling a smoked piece of pork or turkey with water and dried onion for 3-4 hours. You can also add a tablespoon of unflavoured gelatin to the mixture.
After the initial boiling process, taste the mixture to check the seasoning. If using a smoked meat, be mindful that it can be salty, so it is advisable to check the taste before adding more salt. Add about a tablespoon of sugar to cut through the saltiness. The broth should have a silky texture; if it doesn't, add a bit more bloomed gelatin.
Once the pot liquor is ready, you can then add the collard greens and let them simmer until they are soft and creamy. This usually takes around 35-45 minutes. It is important to keep an eye on the collard greens while they are cooking, as they can dry out and stick to the bottom of the pot if the pot liquor evaporates. If this happens, simply add more liquid and reduce the heat.
The pot liquor can also be made in a pressure cooker or an instant pot. In this case, you would first sauté onions, garlic, and spices in oil or bacon grease, then add a mixture of water and chicken broth, followed by the collard greens. The pressure cooker will reduce the cooking time significantly compared to a stovetop method.
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Braise the collards
Braising collard greens is a great way to cook them down until they are very tender. Braising is a slow-cooking method that results in a rich, savoury broth called pot likker, which is a staple of Southern cuisine. Here is a step-by-step guide to braising collard greens:
Prepare the Pot Likker:
Firstly, prepare the pot likker, which is the flavoured broth that the collards will be braised in. The base of the pot likker is usually water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. For a vegetarian option, choose vegetable broth or simply water. If you want to add meat, smoked pork is a popular choice, with ham hocks being a favourite. You can also use smoked turkey legs or necks. Add the meat to the liquid base along with some dried onion and boil for a few hours before adding the collards. This will create a rich, smoky pot likker.
Prepare the Collard Greens:
While the pot likker is cooking, prepare the collard greens. Start by removing the tough stems from the leaves. You can do this by folding each leaf in half and tearing the stem away or by cutting out the stems with a knife. Give each leaf a good rinse in cold water to remove any dirt, and then chop the leaves into smaller pieces.
Once the pot likker has been simmering for a few hours and the collards are prepared, it's time to braise the collards. Carefully add the collard greens to the pot, allowing them to cook for a minute or two so they begin to wilt and reduce in size. Make sure the collards are partially covered with liquid. Bring the heat back up to a boil, then reduce to medium or medium-low heat. Cook for at least 2 hours or until the collards are completely tender. Taste the pot likker as you go, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve:
When the collards are tender, it's time to serve them. You can remove the meat from the bones and mix it back into the greens, or serve it on the side. Don't forget to drink the pot likker! It's full of vitamins and flavour.
Tips for Braising Collard Greens:
- Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to balance out the flavours and reduce bitterness.
- Cooking collard greens for a long time is a great way to mellow out any bitterness.
- Keep an eye on the pot to ensure it doesn't dry out. If it starts to look dry, add more liquid and reduce the heat.
- Don't overcook the collards. They should be tender, not mushy.
- If you have extra pot likker, don't throw it away! You can use it as a base for your next batch of collards, add more ingredients to make a soup, or use it to flavour other dishes.
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Add seasoning
The most common seasonings used in cooking collard greens are black pepper, smoked applewood salt, and distilled white vinegar. These seasonings complement the collard greens, making them smoky, slightly spicy, and a tad salty and vinegary.
You can also add red pepper flakes, which will give the collards a slight heat. If you want to add a slight tang, you can include white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Cayenne pepper is another popular choice for adding some spice.
If you're looking for a sweeter note, you can add a teaspoon of sugar. This is especially useful if you're using a smoked ingredient, as it can be salty. A pinch of baking soda can also help to balance out any bitterness from the collard greens.
For those who enjoy garlic, adding some smashed garlic cloves or garlic powder can enhance the flavor. You can also include meat for seasoning, such as ham hocks, bacon, or smoked turkey legs.
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Serve with sides
Collard greens are often served with sides that complement their strong, bitter flavour. Traditional sides include cornbread, pan-fried pork chops, sweet corn, field peas, and peach cobbler for dessert.
If you're looking for a more substantial meal, collard greens can be served as a side dish alongside fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, or other Southern classics.
For a lighter meal, collard greens can be paired with a variety of other vegetables, such as kale, chard, turnip greens, or mustard greens. These greens can be prepared in a similar way to collards and served as a side dish or added directly to the pot of collards to create a heartier dish.
Collard greens can also be served as a side dish to a main course featuring smoked meats such as ham hocks, bacon, or turkey legs. The smoked meat flavour will complement the collards, and the meat can be chopped and mixed into the greens before serving.
Finally, collard greens can be served as a side to a vegetarian meal. Omit the meat and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for the pot likker. Sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil, then add the collards and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Serve with vegetarian sides such as mashed potatoes, rice, or cornbread.
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Frequently asked questions
The best way to cook collard greens is to braise them in a pot with meat and spices to create a savoury pot liquor.
Pot liquor is the rich, savoury broth that forms at the bottom of the pot when collard greens are cooked. It is considered very nutritious and can be used to flavour other recipes.
You will need collard greens, water or broth, and salt. You can also add meat such as ham hocks, bacon, or smoked turkey leg, and spices such as onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and vinegar.
Collard greens should be cooked over medium or medium-low heat for at least 2 hours or until they are tender. Be careful not to overcook them, as this can dry out the pot liquor and cause the greens to stick to the bottom of the pot.
