Are you afraid of collard greens? I recently discovered that an acquaintance absolutely refuses to cook collards at home, even though he’s a fairly accomplished cook. He’d rather buy his collards in a restaurant than deal with what he thinks of as a smelly, time-consuming job. What a pity.
Collards are members of the brassica family, a relative of the cabbage in other words, and some people object to the smell of cabbage cooking. But the smell seems to come at a particular point in the cooking process. Shredded leaves cooked for less than 5 minutes will still be vibrant green and shouldn’t give off any unpleasant smells. Cook the collards covered for a longer time so they get really tender, and there’s no smell then either.
Their smooth leaves make collards easy to clean, and stripping the leaves off the tough stalk is quick work, far easier than dealing with mustard or turnip greens.
If you have a moment to sit while stripping your “mess” of collard leaves, it’s really a nice meditative activity. Tear the leaves into bite size pieces and proceed with your recipe.
Stir-fried Collards, Pork Tenderloin and Peanuts
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
This combination of pork, collards, peanuts and hot sauce just says “Georgia” to me. If you like your collards cooked more, take a little longer for the first step and then proceed with the recipe. You could even do the collards ahead of time, or use leftover collards from another meal. Chicken base is a great pantry staple that adds chicken flavor without the need for cups of chicken stock. You’ll find it in the prepared soup section of your grocery store. With two tablespoons of hot sauce this is pretty spicy. Use less if your household isn’t into heat.
1 pound collards, washed, stemmed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon chicken base
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
In a large saucepan, add collard greens with enough water to cover. Add chicken base. Heat over high heat until water begins to boil, and cook until collards are your desired tenderness, 5 to 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until just done. Add the greens and hot sauce and toss until everything is coated with hot sauce. Stir in peanuts and serve with rice.
Adapted from The Best of Georgia Farms by Fred Brown and Sherri M. L. Smith (CI Publishing, $24.95)
Per serving: 338 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 31 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 74 milligrams cholesterol, 461 milligrams sodium.
For more ideas about gifts, decorating, where to eat and what to do, check out our complete Atlanta Holiday Guide.
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