Growing up, I never liked greens.

Mom my would go on enthusiastically about how good they are, and I tried to figure out why someone who professed to love me would lie to me so much. As I grew, and my tastes evolved, I tasted greens outside of the house (here's hoping my mom doesn't read the blog) and I started making them myself, I began to appreciate them more. 

There are a lot of common misconceptions out there about greens, some of them leading to let's than optimal cooks. Let's address some before jumping into the recipe. 

  1. Despite the claims of lying packaged vegetable purveyors everywhere, there is no such thing as a bag of pre-washed greens. From experience I've learned that it's always best to ensure greens are fully and completely washed yourself. 
  2. Greens do not need to be cooked to death. A 30 minute simmer will do. Overcooking leads to the super-mushy greens we all know and hate.
  3. Again, there is no such thing as a bag of pre-washed greens. You should always wash them yourself even if they come in a bag.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 6

  • 1 lb washed and cut collared greens
  • 2 smoked turkey necks
  • 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 1/8 cup of hot sauce
  • 1/8 cup of sugar
  • salt to taste (about 2-3 tbsp)

COOK TIME

40 minutes

  • 5 minutes prep
  • 30 minutes low boil

HARDWARE

  • large pot
  • cutting board / knife
  • heavy spoon

METHOD

  1. Add turkey necks, spring onions, minced garlic, olive oil to large pot and sautee for medium heat for 5 minutes
  2. Add collard greens to pot. Press the greens down into the pot with your hands a little then add water until they are just covered. Use the recipe as a guideline and add salt, hot sauce and sugar to taste. 
  3. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to a low boil for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove turkey necks from pot. Using a fork, tear meat away from bones and add back to greens.
  5. Serve and recieve accolades from those you love most.