Even though the New Year is well underway, I love making collard greens. For some reason I always end up making these on Sunday, especially in the winter. Collards "is" one of my favorite comfort foods. My Aunt Joan taught me to make these. Actually, her name is pronounced "Joanne," and believe it or not, my mother's oldest sister, Aunt Bea is the only one in the family that calls her that. I suppose in Appalachia, my Granny Gree wasn't sure how to spell it.
Once again this is one of my fondest memories of all time revolving around food. My Aunt was home one week in the fall, and I asked her for her collards recipe. She told me she'd never written it down. She'd have to just show me. We spent the entire afternoon making this wonderful dish. My mom never liked greens, so we never ate them very much growing up in South Carolina. However, my grandmother had a garden of some sort year round well into her 80s. This would be her "recipe." I have made this dish many times, and most people that claim to dislike collards almost always say even they like mine. I made them for a church function once, and the group said they were even better than Paula Deen's at The Lady and Sons in Savannah. When I was asked for the recipe to publish in a local cookbook, I had to write down the way they are prepared. So after making collards for over 25 years this is the recipe. It seems labor intensive, but well worth the effort. In a pinch you can buy the chopped collards pre-washed and cut in a bag, but they are better if you start from the big bunches so abundant most of the year. I always think of my Aunt Joan when I make them, and I especially remember that year we washed the greens side by side in the sink that cold fall afternoon. It was so much fun, and the memory associated with it will never leave me. And that is why I share it here. I hope my idol Paula isn't upset, but afterall, I didn't name them. They were named while sharing them with some close friends: another good memory associated with good food! Enjoy!
“Better Than Paula’s Collards”-as named by FBCC Singles
Salted fat back-about 8 strips
3 large bunches of collards
½ cup apple cider vinegar
5 T salt
2 T black pepper
½ cup sugar
Water
Cut stems of collards up to the leaves. Fill one side of sink with water and submerge greens to wash. Strip leaves from the stems and any large veins. Discard stems and any unwanted “spots’ in greens. Move stripped greens to another sink of water. Repeat this with remaining bunches of greens. Continue rinsing collards by moving from sink to sink of fresh water about 4 times.
In two large pots render the fat from the pork by frying the meat on medium heat until brown and crisp. Add greens turning to coat with grease from the fat back. Cover with water and the salt, half to each pot. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium low.
Continue “turning” greens, pulling the dark, wilted greens to the top. After collards have reduced in volume, combine them in one pot a little at a time, reserving “pot liquor” from the empty pot. Using this liquid keep collards covered and turned for about 3 hours. Add the vinegar and half the sugar. Continue cooking this way for 2-3 more hours adding the rest of the sugar and black pepper for the last 30 minutes.
Friday, January 23, 2009
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Mmm, mmm, that sho sound like some fine eatin!
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