Collard greens
Greens simmered with smoked pork until the pot liquor is the point — a long cook, not a 2-minute fry.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Southern collards are simmered with smoked meat, onion and vinegar until they are silky and the liquid (pot liquor) tastes like the pot. This is not couve à mineira and it is not Ethiopian gomen. The time is the recipe.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Collard greens800 g
- Pork, smoked hock, bacon or turkey wing200 g
- Garlic4 clove
- Vinegar30 ml
- Fresh chilli (optional)2½ ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Water1 l
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer smoked meat, onion and garlic 30 minutes. Add stripped, chopped greens. Cook 45–60 minutes until tender. Vinegar, chilli, salt.
90 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 152 kcal
- Protein
- 14.3 g
- Carbs
- 11.2 g
- Fat
- 5.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.8 g
- Fibre
- 5.8 g
- Sugar
- 2.3 g
- Sodium
- 705 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Smoked pork → Smoked paprika and oil
A quieter liquor.
Tips
- Cornbread to dip in the liquor is not optional in some houses.
- A vegetarian pot uses smoked paprika and more time. Different, still greens.
History & culture
Sunday plates, New Year's with peas, and the vegetable that is also a broth. African American culinary genius in a pot.
West African ways with greens meet European collards and smoked pork. Naming that is part of cooking it.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Collard greens take?
1 hr 45 min all in — 15 min prep, 1 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 pots. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
How much vinegar?
2 tbsp of Vinegar.
What can I use instead?
Smoked pork → Smoked paprika and oil. A quieter liquor.
Any tips from this recipe?
Cornbread to dip in the liquor is not optional in some houses. A vegetarian pot uses smoked paprika and more time. Different, still greens.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Gomen
ጎመን
Greens stewed with garlic and ginger — the vegetable that sits next to the wats.
Easy
Couve à mineira
Ribboned collards, garlic, a hot pan — the green that sits next to feijoada and tropeiro.
Very easy
Gumbo
A dark roux, the trinity, and a pot that is Creole or Cajun depending on who is stirring — not a generic chilli.
MediumMedium heat