Smothered Greens Recipes

VEAL GRILLADES AND GRITS WITH SMOTHERED GREENS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, add the veal. Season with Creole seasoning. Add the flour and toss the meat, coating completely. Turn the meat out onto a floured surface and lightly pound with a meat mallet. Turn the meat over and lightly pound again.
• In a large, cast iron pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the veal. Cook until the meat is browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Continue stirring, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, beef broth and wine. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally and keeping the pot partially covered. Remove the bay leaves.
• For the grits:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the milk, salt, cayenne and butter and bring to a boil. Stir in the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Stir for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grits are tender and creamy. Pour the grits into a greased square glass pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the grits. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
• To serve, spoon the grits in the center of each plate. Spoon the greens around the grits. Spoon the veal mixture over the grits. Garnish with green onions and parsley.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.
• Fry the bacon in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until slightly crisp. Add the onions and season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the water and vinegar and mix well. Begin adding the greens, about a third at a time, pressing the greens down as they begin to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the greens are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot.

SMOTHERED COLLARD GREENS AND CABBAGE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon with the onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped collard greens, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the greens seasoning; cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add in the darker chopped cabbage leaves, and cook and stir until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining cabbage; season with salt, black pepper, sugar, and the remaining greens seasoning. Stir well; cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally so that the greens do not scorch, about 10 minutes.

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS WITH COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Season each chop with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Heat a cast iron skillet just large enough to hold the pork over a medium heat. Add the reserved pork fat and brown the pork chop well-approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside. If the pan is dry, add another tablespoon of fat. Add the onions and peppers. Increase the heat to medium high in order to brown the vegetables well. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from the flame and stir in the hot hock stock until thickened and smooth. Bury the pork chops in the gravy. Cover the skillet and place in a 300 degree oven. Cook 2 hours, or until pork is very tender;
• Collard Greens: Place hock stock in a large sauce pot over a medium high heat. Bring hock stock to a rapid simmer. Pack collards into the stock with the onion and jalapeno. Simmer 2 hours. Season to taste with salt, pepper and malt vinegar.;
• Ham hock stock: Place ham hocks in a stock pot large enough to hold the hocks, leaving 6 inches of free space at the top of the pot. Pour enough cold water over the hocks to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a rapid simmer over a medium high heat. A thick foam will build on the top of the stock. Carefully remove all of the foam. Reduce heat to low and simmer 6 hours. Constantly skim the clear fat that builds at the top of the stock. Reserve the fat for cooking.

SMOTHERED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat oil or butter in a wide braising pan or casserole. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring and being careful not to get too much color on the onions. Add the greens (be sure to wash carefully as they have a tendency to be gritty) and stir. Cover for about 5 minutes to wilt, then cook over medium low heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or until greens are tender and not bitter. Sprinkle with the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, stir, and remove from heat. Serve warm.

SMOTHERED GREENS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick saute pan, melt the butter with the oil. Saute onion for about 5 minutes, without coloring.
• Stir in the assorted greens, and cook over medium-high heat, until the vegetables are wilted and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. If mixture becomes dry, add a little chicken stock.
• Stir in the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper and hot sauce, if desired.

GRANDMA'S SOUTHERN COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon lard over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender. Add ham hocks, water, seasoned salt, pepper flakes, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, 55-60 minutes., Add collard greens, wine, and remaining 1 Tbsp. lard. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until greens are very tender, 55-60 minutes. Remove meat from bones; finely chop and return to pan. Discard bones. Serve with a slotted spoon.