Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
A pot of collards is a lesson in patience rewarded — big, sturdy greens simmered low and slow until they turn silky in a smoky, savory pot liquor. Smoked turkey does the same work a ham hock used to do, flavoring every leaf while keeping things a touch lighter. Save a little of that pot liquor for sopping up with cornbread; that's half the pleasure.
What You Need
Serves 4-6
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 smoked turkey leg or wing (about 1 pound)
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water, or a mix of both
• 2 pounds fresh collard greens (about 2 large bunches)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, plus more for the table
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste — go easy at first, the turkey adds salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• Hot sauce, for serving
Directions
1. Wash the collard greens well in several changes of cold water — they can hold onto grit. Cut out the thick center stems, stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice crosswise into ribbons about 1 inch wide.
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3. Add the smoked turkey and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes to start building a flavorful broth.
4. Add the collard greens a big handful at a time, stirring after each addition so they wilt down into the pot. It will look like far too many greens at first — they cook down considerably.
5. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Return to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the greens are silky and tender with no chew left in the stems.
6. Lift the turkey out onto a cutting board. Pull the meat from the bone in bite-size pieces, discarding skin, bone, and gristle. Return the meat to the pot and stir it through the greens.
7. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve the greens hot with plenty of their pot liquor spooned over, and pass the hot sauce and extra vinegar at the table.
Notes
• Refrigerate leftovers in their pot liquor for up to 4 days — like most greens, they taste even better the next day. Reheat gently until steaming.
• Pot liquor freezes well too, and a cup of it stirred into beans or soup later is a cook's little secret.
Tips
• Wash, then wash again. One stray bit of grit can spoil a bite, and collards are famous for hiding it. A salad spinner helps dry them, but even a clean sink of water and a lift-and-swish does the job.
• Don't rush the simmer. Underdone collards are tough and bitter; properly cooked, they turn mellow and almost sweet.
• Strip the stems instead of cooking them whole — thick collard stems stay chewy long after the leaves are done. A quick pull down the center rib with your fingers works fine.