Southern United States

Grandma's Sunday Collards

Slow-simmered collards with smoked turkey, a splash of vinegar, and a pinch of sugar to round the bite.

150 minutes Serves 6

Where this comes from

Collard greens trace directly to West African leafy-green stews — callaloo in the Caribbean, efo riro in Nigeria. Enslaved Africans in the American South adapted the tradition to what grew in the garden rows they were allowed. The pot liquor left behind was never wasted; it was the most nutritious part of the meal and was sopped up with cornbread.

Ingredients

2 large bunches collard greens, stemmed and chopped
1 smoked turkey wing
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

01Rinse the collards three times in cold water until no grit settles at the bottom of the bowl.
02In a heavy pot, sweat the onion and garlic in a little fat until soft and translucent.
03Add the smoked turkey wing and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 45 minutes to build the pot liquor.
04Add the collards in handfuls, letting each wilt before adding the next.
05Season with vinegar, sugar, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Simmer low for 60–90 minutes until tender.
06Pull the meat off the wing, return it to the pot, and rest 10 minutes before serving with cornbread for the pot liquor.

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