These greens are, hands-down, our favorite barbecue side dish. They are savory, easy to make, and flexible — you can use either collard or kale greens (just don’t use spinach, it gets mushy). Also, they’re just as good reheated the next day, in the rare case that you have any leftover!
Southern-style greens
Serves 4-6
Good Food
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz. fresh collard greens or kale, washed and trimmed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon slices and cook until they are just crisp (keep the heat relatively low so you don’t cook away the bacon fat). Remove the bacon strips from the pan and save to add back in at the end.
Saute the diced onion in the bacon grease for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add the garlic and seasonings and saute 1-2 minutes more, while stirring. Add the collard greens and saute until wilted (depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add the greens in batches in order to have enough room).
Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
Chop up the reserved bacon and add it to the greens. Simmer for 5 minutes to reheat the bacon, then taste and add additional seasoning, if necessary. Enjoy!
(Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Pairs well with:
Jamaican jerk chicken with rice and peas
Smoked pulled pork