Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

Why you’ll love it

• Deep, smoky flavor without pork: smoked turkey does the work.
• Mostly hands-off: the pot does the cooking.
• The perfect side for fried chicken, ham, ribs and holiday dinners.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the pot likker

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or bacon drippings
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 smoked turkey wing or leg (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g)
• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

For the greens

• 2 large bunches collard greens (about 2 1/2 lb / 1.1 kg)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Hot sauce, for serving

Step-by-step method

1. Start the pot likker. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.

2. Simmer the turkey. Add the smoked turkey and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to build a rich, smoky broth.

3. Clean the greens. Meanwhile, fill a clean sink with cold water and swish the collard leaves to release grit. Lift them out, drain the water and repeat 2 more times, until no sand remains at the bottom. Strip the leaves from the thick stems, stack them, roll them up and slice into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons.

4. Cook the greens. Add the greens to the pot by the handful, stirring as they wilt to make room for more. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are silky and tender.

5. Add the meat. Remove the turkey, pull the meat from the bones, discard the skin and bones, chop the meat and stir it back into the pot. Taste and adjust the salt, vinegar and heat. Serve with some pot likker and hot sauce on the side.

How to know it is done

The greens are ready when they are dark, silky and tender enough to cut with a spoon, with no chewy or squeaky bite left. The smoked turkey meat should pull easily from the bone.

Tips for the best result

• Wash the greens well: one gritty bite can ruin the whole pot.
• Keep the pot at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, so the greens turn tender instead of mushy.
• Smoked turkey is already salty, so season at the end.

Variations and substitutions

• Classic pork: use a smoked ham hock or 6 slices of bacon instead of turkey.
• Vegetarian: skip the meat, use vegetable broth and add 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tbsp soy sauce.
• Mixed greens: swap half the collards for mustard or turnip greens, which cook in about 30 minutes.
• Pressure cooker: cook the turkey 25 minutes on high, add the greens and cook 15 minutes more, then release naturally.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate with their pot likker up to 5 days; the flavor improves overnight. Freeze up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.