Gettin' Funky on the Egg Like an Old Batch of Collard Greens

dmourati

I've got a party coming up and decided to feature brisket on the menu. I've often struggled with sides but I came up with a Southern theme even though I'm anything but.

For your consideration, and especially if you are from the South, please review my planned menu and weigh in.

Appetizers

Fried Cheese Curds

Caprese skewers

ABTs

Jalapeno and Cheese Curd Brats

Brisket Burnt Ends

Main Dish 

Brisket 

Chicken thighs

Side Dish

Creamed corn

Pinto Beans

Collard Greens

Pepper Vinegar

Dessert 

Cupcakes

Peach Cobbler

Beer

Lone Star

This brings me to one rule I try to follow regarding my cooks. Don't try something for guests for the fist time. Do a trial run. So here is my first attempt ever at Collard Greens.

The recipe called for smoked turkey legs or wings. Hmm, I know how to smoke meat.

Hit the wings with some Dizzy Pig Wonder Bird.



Here we have the main ingredient, Collard Greens. Luckily, my local grocery store carries these. This is a little under a pound.



I learned you can take out the stems by hand by pinching and pulling. Here are the leaves and stems separated.



Roll up the leaves like a cigar. I do this with basil too.



Here I chopped the stems pretty thin and the leaves into about 1" strips.



Did I say something about the Egg? Oh yea, this is the Egghead forum after all. To keep this on topic, here are the turkey wings over some cherry wood at about 250-275F.



And here they are about 50 minutes later, about 165F internal.



Into a dutch oven goes some store bought chicken stock. We're going to fortify the stock with the smoked wing. I just used one because I didn't start with the full 2.5 pounds of Collards.



Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and some water. Cook till it reduces 2/3rds from your starting volume.



Remove the turkey wing. Add in some diced yellow onion.



Add in the greens. I used the whole darned things including the diced up stems.



Final product. I was surprised to learn these only need to cook for about 45 minutes. I ate basically the whole pot. They were very spicy and rich.

I'm very curious to hear from any experts out there. How did this city boy do?

(With apologies to Snoop D O double G ya see)

Botch

What's-her-name was from Alabama, and the first time she made me collards I was in heaven.  She used a smoked ham bone, that's what I've used since, didn't think to smoke my own turkey parts.  You done good, and now I'm modifying my weekend cooks.  

lousubcap

Consider Shiner Bock along with the Lone Star.  
BTW- the greens look great.  

DoubleEgger

Looking good. However, I will say that caprese skewers and cheese curds are definitely not Southern. This will cause some butthurt but Lone Star beer isn’t Southern either. The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi are the real South. 

dmourati

Ya, the caprese skewers and curds predated my “Southern revelation.”  Good call. It was really the brisket, creamed corn, collards, pinto beans, and peach cobbler that honor the Southern moniker. I’ll look into my beer selection further. 

DoubleEgger

As for beer, Natty Light and Bud Light are the quintessential Southern staples. It’s quantity over quality. 

Bonus points if you are passing around a Mason jar…

DoubleEgger

You can swap the curds for pimento cheese and crackers.  Pimento cheese is the most Southern cheese of all. 

dbCooper

@dmourati -  Not a Southerner so discount that as you see fit.  Have eaten lots of greens, first time seeing them with wings instead of pork.  Interesting and yours looks just great.

Gulfcoastguy

They actually have smoked turkey parts, usually necks our wings, in our stores for use with greens. I remember a lady buying what looked like 5 pounds of collards and a tray of smoked turkey wings back during Covid.

dmourati

Gulfcoastguy said:

They actually have smoked turkey parts, usually necks our wings, in our stores for use with greens. I remember a lady buying what looked like 5 pounds of collards and a tray of smoked turkey wings back during Covid.

Yea, I would have taken that shortcut. I was pleased to find turkey parts at all at my new grocery store here in the Twin Cities. The recipe called for smoked wings/legs as if that was an available ingredient rather than a cooking step.