Collard Greens

[ChrisL]

So I'm in Florida and found this BBQ joint off Rt 4 in Lakeland called Smokin Aces. The bbq was good, very good actually but OMG the collard greens were to die for.  I got hooked on them on my travels throughout the south in the Army and would travel to Memphis often for a previous employer.  We just don't get good collard greens in SoCal.  We really arn't a bbq hot bed either but there is a good local joint nearby.

Anyway I got 3 servings of the greens and had to explain myself to the server.  

 

[Ralphie]

I love those too!  Were they covered in bacon fat?  They can go a little overboard with that. 

[donkpow]

Ooh, I love collard greens. My trip through the south introduced me to red beans and rice with sausage. Mmm-mm ...

[Road Runner]

2 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Ooh, I love collard greens.

You're lucky you didn't have to grow up smelling those things cooking once a week.  

[donkpow]

My first out of state overnight trip as a teenager took me to Kentucky where I discovered the exquisite pleasure of grits. You could have grits for breakfast and turn right around and have the same grits for lunch. OMG! The genius of it all.

[Wilbur]

Collard greens are disgusting.  But that is just my take. 

[Ralphie]

2 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

You're lucky you didn't have to grow up smelling those things cooking once a week.  

My nj wife objects to cooking greens. 

[donkpow]

Just now, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

My nj wife objects to cooking greens. 

Cook 'em outside in a big pot over a hick'ry fire. That's what I'd do and you should, too.

[donkpow]

Speaking about the smell of southern cooking, one of the former apartment tenants had a fondness for the food of her youth. When she made chitlins, even the dogs would leave the neighborhood. 

[ChrisL]

No not covered in bacon fat but there were little chunks of meat in it.  The flavor was spot on but the greens were cooked perfectly. Soft but not mushy.  That is the big problem with SoCal collard greens, it's a big green mushy mess like it's been boiling for days.

Red Beans & Rice is another southern dish I learned to love as well as corn bread, pulled pork, okra and catfish.  All things I never had until I spent time in the south.

[ChrisL]

4 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Speaking about the smell of southern cooking, one of the former apartment tenants had a fondness for the food of her youth. When she made chitlins, even the dogs would leave the neighborhood. 

OK so I tried to try them once.  The server was like you sure you want it?  I said yeah, never had it so she said if you don't like it I won't charge you for it.  So she puts the plate down, stands by the table as I put the fork in and it got to within an inch to my mouth when the smell hit me and I dropped the fork.  She took my plate and got me something else.

It smelled like shit, literally and I couldn't do it.

[donkpow]

The south has the best barbecue. 

[ChrisL]

18 minutes ago, donkpow said:

My first out of state overnight trip as a teenager took me to Kentucky where I discovered the exquisite pleasure of grits. You could have grits for breakfast and turn right around and have the same grits for lunch. OMG! The genius of it all.

I've tried them many different ways, sweet savory bfast & dinner and am not a grits fan but they were a mess hall staple.

[ChrisL]

1 minute ago, donkpow said:

The south has the best barbecue. 

Truth

[Airehead]

Greens don't smell if you start them in cold water to which you have added a whole onion, a ham hock, and a garlic clove.  Do not over cook.  Perfection.  Pick the hock and distribute the chunks of meat before serving.

[donkpow]

1 minute ago, Airehead said:

Greens don't smell if you start them in cold water to which you have added a whole onion, a ham hock, and a garlic clove.  Do not over cook.  Perfection.  Pick the hock and distribute the chunks of meat before serving.

Bam! Who's your daddy?

[donkpow]

My BIL serves his greens with sliced fresh tomatoes on top.

[Randomguy]

They have to be healthy, they sustained the builders of America for quite a while!  I like them if they are good, not so much if they are too rough or mushy.

[Square Wheels]

My wife makes wicked pissa collard greens.

[Airehead]

1 hour ago, donkpow said:

My BIL serves his greens with sliced fresh tomatoes on top.

I have seen that in Carolina.

[Road Runner]

1 hour ago, Airehead said:

Greens don't smell if you start them in cold water to which you have added a whole onion, a ham hock, and a garlic clove.  Do not over cook.  Perfection.  Pick the hock and distribute the chunks of meat before serving.

My mother and grandmother were great women.  But they were both notorious for overcooking everything, especially vegetables.  I grew up on mushy peas, limas, spinach, and greens.   

[donkpow]

10 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

My mother and grandmother were great women.  But they were both notorious for overcooking everything, especially vegetables.  I grew up on mushy peas, limas, spinach, and greens.   

So did I. Including "creaming" everything and something called "stewed tomatoes".

[Road Runner]

2 minutes ago, donkpow said:

So did I. Including "creaming" everything and something called "stewed tomatoes".

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

2 hours ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

 Were they covered in bacon fat?  They can go a little overboard with that.

I know next to nothing about cooking - especially collard greens - but I thought it just about unpossible to put too much bacon fat on anything.

[Kzoo]

I am the SW of collard greens.  I've never had them.

[sheep_herder]

3 hours ago, Airehead said:

Greens don't smell if you start them in cold water to which you have added a whole onion, a ham hock, and a garlic clove.  Do not over cook.  Perfection.  Pick the hock and distribute the chunks of meat before serving.

That sounds heavenly!!

[sheep_herder]

Golden Corral often has very good greens and/or spinach.

[pedalphile]

An educative thread for me. I understand only 1 of the foods mentioned, mushy peas are great.

[Airehead]

4 minutes ago, pedalphile said:

An educative thread for me. I understand only 1 of the foods mentioned, mushy peas are great.

They actually are even though the name sounds bad.  I get them with my meal at the Old Toad-- our only truly English pub.

[pedalphile]

I like all sorts of peas, fresh, frozen, but with certain meals especially with chips, mushy peas rule. I sometimes make them at home and eat them just as is, with s&p and vinegar.