Slow-Cooked Southern Greens Viking Cooking School recipe

Slow-Cooked Southern Greens

Viking Cooking School recipe

• 2 pounds collard greens*
• 6 slices smoked bacon, cut crosswise into think strips
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 cups water (or chicken stock/broth)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or to taste

1. Vigorously plunge the heads of greens four or five times into a sink filled with lukewarm water. Pull the greens out of the water. Drain the water, and clean the grit out of the sink. Remove and discard the tough center ribs from the greens; stack the leaves one on top of the other and roll into a cylinder. Using a very sharp chef’s knife, cross-cut the cylinder into thin strips.
2. Refill the sink with clean, lukewarm water; place the chopped greens in the water and swish around. Soak the chopped greens in the water, letting the dirt and grit settle to the bottom of the sink. Lift the greens out of the sink, leaving the sand and grit behind; repeat if necessary, then drain in a colander. (Note: Pre-washed greens do not have to be washed twice, but it is a good idea to wash at least once.)
3. Heat a large sauce pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and season with salt and pepper; cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the water to the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (deglazing). Add the greens in batches, stirring each batch to wilt slightly before adding more. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are melt-in-your mouth tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in the vinegar and sugar; cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Serve hot with cornbread. (Note: Southerners like to either dip their cornbread in the pot likker, which is the juice from the greens, or crumble their cornbread over their greens. Many like a little extra kick from sprinkling vinegar pepper sauce over their greens.**)

*If collard greens are unavailable, substitute mustard greens, turnip greens or kale.
**Vinegar pepper sauce (such as Louisiana Brand® Tabasco Peppers in Vinegar) may be found in the condiment section of most grocery stores or online at cajunsupermarket.com.

Variation: If you wish to substitute ham hocks for the bacon, score 2 smoked ham hocks all over with a small knife. Complete the recipe through Step 3, then place the pot over medium-high heat. Increase the water to 4 cups, and add to the pot along with the scored ham hocks. Simmer until the ham hocks are very tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Continue with Step 4 of the recipe, beginning with “Add the greens in batches…” Before serving, remove the ham hocks from the pot and cut the meat off the bone; dice the meat and add back to the pot of greens. Discard the bones. Smoked turkey necks are another popular choice in the South for imparting flavor to greens; they should be handled in the same manner as the ham hocks but will only take half the amount of time to cook.

Make it ahead: Make the greens up to two days in advance; reheat over medium heat until hot throughout. Make sure you save the pot likker for dipping your cornbread.

Make it light: Omit the bacon and cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil. Add a teaspoon of liquid smoke for flavor. You may also omit the sugar, if you desire.