just took it off after 2.25 hours and it was amazing on toast with eggs (Fatty Sandwich). Two butts to go and corn souffle, collards and Dutch's baked beans for dinner with homemade chocolate mousse cake.
Collard Green Recipe (Created during tailgating)
2 bags of pre chopped and cleaned Collards
smoked ham hocks, tails or turkey necks or bacon
4-8 oz coke (the acid helps break down the greens and the sugar neutralizes any bitterness)
large onion - diced
bourbon - one shot (for the pot, but you can always make another for yourself. If you only have one shot left....well then you have a tough call to make)
4 oz beer - drink the rest
Water
Heaping teaspoon of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
vinegar pepper sauce and/or hot sauce to taste
1. Cook down meat (you can use as much or as little as you like) and diced onion in a large stock pot (the taller the better) until onions are tender. Fat from meat should be sufficient, but if not you can add a little EVOO to cook down the onions. You can leave the meat whole or chop it up and eat it with the greens, it is up to you.
2. Add a little water (see Note below) and then beer, bourbon and coke to the bottom of the large stock pot. Scrape off all the juices from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Note: At this point add just a little water as well. You want the liquid to barely cover your greens so add a little at a time. Also, the greens, like any other leafy green will cook down considerably, so don't add too much water, you can always add more later. It takes time, but you will get the feel of this.
3. Add half a bag of the collards and cover for a couple minutes until the greens cook down to half the size they were. Then add the other half of the bag. Do this until all the collards are in the pot. Remember to get the liquid level just up to the top of the greens, but also remember that the greens will cook down. It won't take as much liquid as you think doe to the fact the collards will cook down and release most of their stored water as well
4. Cook on low until they reach the tendernees you desire. I recommend at least two hours, probably more depending on the level you cook them at. The longer you cook them the more they will cook down and the more tender they will be.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add pepper sauce and/or hot sauce to the greens in the pot or at the table.
Go great by themselves or on some cornbread.
Obviously, these amounts are not exact, but feel free to add/subtract amounts and ingredients. I never measure anything, but did so here only for convenience. As long as you have some meat, onions,salt and pepper and water you will be good, but the coke is the secret ingredient.
Thanks and good luck.
