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PrintSouthern-style greens from Spagio
Photo copyright 2011 Crestock.
May brings a variety of cultivated greens stuffed with iron and vitamins A and C: collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens and spinach. Flavors vary from mild to assertive. You can use greens in salads if they are young and tender. Whole leaves can be cooked if the stem and (often bitter) center rib are removed. Consider sautéing them with garlic, tossing them in a pasta dish, creating a soup or making a potato and green gratin.
When buying, avoid wilted, yellow or bruised leaves and stems that look dry. Refrigerate greens, unwashed, in a plastic bag in your crisper and use within a few days of purchase. (Tip: Wash greens well just before using to ensure that grit doesn’t end up in the finished dish.)
Spagio, 1295 Grandview Ave., shared its recipe for Southern-style greens. It yields about 10 cups of greens, which can be refrigerated and easily reheated. Serve with a smoked pork chop or barbecued chicken. If you’re interested in additional ideas from Spagio, check out the Classic American Cuisine cooking class, focusing on regional dishes, it’s holding at the restaurant May 15.
Southern-style greens
2 pounds mustard greens
2 pounds turnip greens
2 pounds collard greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
1 smoked ham hock*
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 pound brown sugar
8 cups chicken stock
Salt to taste
In small bunches, roll the leaves into a cigarlike shape and cut horizontally into strips.
Preheat a large pot with olive oil and sauté the onions until softened. Add the garlic and cook another two to three minutes. Keep an eye on the onion and garlic to be sure the mix doesn’t brown. Add the smoked ham hock, vinegar, brown sugar and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add greens in small bunches (they will shrink as they cook). Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for one hour until tender. Remove ham hock before serving.
* Spagio recommends the ham hocks at Thurn’s Specialty Meats on Greenlawn Avenue.
