I picked up a bunch of collard greens from the produce market because they were cheap, and we like some greens. But I won't lie, after I put them in the fridge, I tried to forget about them because I was secretly intimidated by them. They're really thick and tough and I assumed very bitter. I did some googling and found a lot of recipes for traditional southern style braised collard greens, and this here is my little mash up of a few. The greens turned out perfectly tender and so flavorful with none of the bitterness! The key to this recipe though is the turkey bacon!
Ingredients:
1 bunch collard greens
1 medium onion, diced
3 to 4 strips of turkey bacon (or beef), chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp oil
About 2-4 cups of chicken broth
Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
Fill a large pot with water, add about 1/4 cup of salt and bring to a boil. In the meantime, fold a leaf of collards in half and slice the thick rib off. Repeat until all are finished. Stack up the leaves and slice into about 1/2 inches thick strips. Once the water is boiling add the greens and stir. After about 2 to 3 minutes drain the green in a colander. The blanching will help remove most of the bitterness.
In another pot or skillet, heat the oil and add the turkey bacon and sauté until they crisp up. Add the onion and garlic and stir until the garlic just starts to turn a golden color. Add the greens and stir well to coat. Add the broth, enough to just cover the greens along with a small pinch of salt. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the greens are tender and the liquid is dried up. Add pepper and crushed reds as desired.
