Braised Collard Greens
Last week I made collard greens, (as I have almost every week since fall started), and I snapped a photo. I then posted said photo to facebook commenting on how much I love those greens. In no time, I received multiple comments and emails asking for the recipe. Well, having no such recipe in hand, I scribbled down the best estimate I could and sent it out. As I did that scribbling (typing) and sending, I decided I should do something a bit more productive and post about it! So, here goes:
The main reason that this was not a recipe I had in hand was I have not made these greens the same way twice, I do stick to a similar format, but they have been lovely in all the different variations tried to date. I am sure they could be not lovely, but, if you stick with these few basic rules, they will be very hard to screw up! They are very simple to make and reheat nicely.
Basics:
- Something savory: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, bacon, ham, or a mix of a few
- Something sweet: honey, juice, sugar, maple, molasses
- Something acidic: vinegar, citrus
I have used almost every different combination of the aforementioned. Depending on my mood, or what I have on hand it is a unique combination each time. Again, it is hard to go wrong! Today I'm using spice apple cider and these cute baby onions my Grandfather grew in his garden this summer.
Afterthought: The spiced cider added a sweet spice to the greens. They ended up sweeter then I expected and had to add a little more vinegar than normal.
The caramelization of the onions can take anywhere between 5-15 minutes. It depends on the heat you choose to use and the size the onions are cut. A bit lower heat is usually ideal, but, if you are in a rush go a bit hotter.
These little guys took right around 8 minutes on medium heat. Remember to give them a stir every 2-3 minutes.
The greens have a lovely bright color when you first add them to the heat. This is right after a good toss with the onions/oil and when I added the apple cider. You can set a timer and walk away at this point, or, I like to check the greens once or twice giving them a loving toss with tongs.
After braising for 30 minutes the greens turn to this not quite as lovely army green. Good news, that color means they are tender and delicious!
This recipe is based on what I consider to be the simplest version of braised collard greens:
Braised Collard Greens
- 2 bunches of collard greens sliced into 1inch strips leaving off the last few inches of stem
- 2 cups of apple cider, I used spiced cider this time around
- 1 cup of sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, pepper, and cider vinegar ( about 2 tablespoons) to taste
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottom dutch oven or skillet with a lid. When hot, add onions and turn down the heat to medium. Carmilize the onions stirring occasionally. When the onions have started to soften and turn golden add the greens and toss with onions. After coating the greens with the onions and oil, pour in cider. Cover with a lid and turn heat to low. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes.
After the greens reach a nice and tender state I remove the lid and turn up the heat for just 1-2 minutes. Long enough to reduce some of the liquid that remains. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and if needed add a splash of vinegar. The greens should be tender with a nice sweet and sour flavor!
Enjoy!
Irene
