Southern Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

Name: Southern Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 lb (about 2 large bunches) (1360 g) collard greens, washed well, thick stems removed, leaves sliced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons; 1½ lb (680 g) smoked turkey wings or drumsticks, whole, fully cooked, rinsed; 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (285 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; ½ tsp (1 g) red pepper flakes; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups (480 ml) water, plus about ½ cup (120 ml) hot water in reserve for the braise if needed; 1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar, packed; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; a pinch for the onions, the rest at the end; 3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar, divided: 2 tbsp (30 ml) for braising, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for finishing; kosher salt, to taste, usually ½ to 1 tsp (3–6 g) added at the end; hot pepper sauce, for serving, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Silky, deeply savory collard greens slow-braised in a smoky turkey broth, then brightened with apple cider vinegar. Tender, never bitter, and perfect with cornbread to soak up the pot likker.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Makes: About 8 cups (8 side-dish servings of 1 cup greens plus broth)

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Ingredients

8 servings

3 lb (about 2 large bunches) (1360 g) collard greens, washed well, thick stems removed, leaves sliced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons
1½ lb (680 g) smoked turkey wings or drumsticks, whole, fully cooked, rinsed
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (285 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp (1 g) red pepper flakes
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (480 ml) water, plus about ½ cup (120 ml) hot water in reserve for the braise if needed
1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; a pinch for the onions, the rest at the end
3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar, divided: 2 tbsp (30 ml) for braising, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for finishing
kosher salt, to taste, usually ½ to 1 tsp (3–6 g) added at the end
hot pepper sauce, for serving, to taste (optional)

Equipment (6)

6- to 8-quart (5.7- to 7.5-liter) heavy-bottomed stockpot or braising pot with lid (stovetop use only)
Large sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Large bowl or clean sink for washing greens
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Two forks for shredding turkey

Steps

Before you start

Buy 2 large bunches of collards (about 3 lb / 1.36 kg total with stems); they cook down to about one-quarter of their raw volume.
Smoked turkey is already cooked and quite salty, so hold back on the salt until the very end.
You need a 6- to 8-quart (5.7- to 7.5-liter) pot; the raw greens fill it to the brim before they wilt. This recipe is made entirely on the stovetop, so no oven is needed.
Plan on about 2 hours 20 minutes start to finish, most of it unattended simmering.

1
Wash the greens
- Fill a clean sink or very large bowl with cold water and submerge the collard leaves.
- Swish them around vigorously, let them sit 2 minutes so grit sinks, then lift the leaves out (don't pour the water over them).
- Drain the water, rinse the sink, and repeat until no sand is left at the bottom.
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Ready when: No grit settles at the bottom after the final soak.
Tip: Collards hide a surprising amount of sand in their ruffles; two to three washes is normal.
2
Trim and slice
- Fold each leaf in half along the center rib and slice or tear the thick stem away, discarding it.
- Stack 5 or 6 leaves, roll them up like a cigar, and slice crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic while you're at it, and rinse the smoked turkey under cold water.
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Ready when: Ribbons are roughly uniform, about 1 inch wide, with no tough stem pieces.
Tip: Cutting ribbons wider than 1 inch leaves chewy pieces; narrower ones turn mushy.
3
Soften the onion
- Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium heat for 1 minute until it shimmers.
- Add the diced onion and a pinch of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent and just starting to turn golden at the edges.
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion browns quickly; scorched bits make the broth bitter.
4
Bloom garlic and spice
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 45 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant.
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Ready when: Garlic smells sweet and fragrant but has not browned.
Tip: Move straight to the liquid once fragrant; browned garlic turns acrid.
5
Simmer the smoky broth
- Add the chicken broth, water, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the vinegar, and the smoked turkey.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce to low so the liquid barely bubbles, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Broth smells distinctly smoky and has a light golden-brown color.
Tip: Don't add salt yet; smoked turkey and broth concentrate as they cook.
6
Wilt in the greens
- Add the greens a large handful at a time, pressing each batch down with tongs and stirring into the broth.
- Raise the heat to medium and let each batch wilt for about 1 minute before adding the next.
- Total time about 8 minutes.
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Ready when: All greens fit below the surface of the liquid and are bright green and collapsed.
Tip: If the pot overflows, cover for 2 minutes between additions so the steam wilts the top layer.
7
Braise until tender
- Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Greens should stay mostly submerged; add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water if the liquid drops below half the height of the greens.
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Ready when: A piece of collard cut with the side of a spoon yields easily, and the greens are dark olive green, soft and silky with no chewiness.
Tip: Taste a piece from the center of the pot at 45 minutes; older, larger leaves can take up to 15 minutes longer.
8
Shred the turkey
- With tongs, move the turkey to a cutting board and let it cool 5 minutes.
- Pull the meat off the bones in bite-size shreds with two forks, discarding bones, skin, and any cartilage.
- Stir the meat back into the pot.
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Ready when: Meat pulls easily from the bone in tender shreds.
Tip: Check carefully for small bones, which are common in wings.
9
Finish and season
- Return the pot to low heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar and the remaining black pepper.
- Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes so the meat heats through to 165°F (74°C).
- Taste the greens and broth, then add kosher salt a pinch at a time until the flavors taste bright and balanced.
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Ready when: Greens taste savory, smoky and slightly tangy, with no bitter edge.
Tip: If the greens still taste slightly bitter, add ½ teaspoon more brown sugar or a splash more vinegar.
10
Rest and serve
- Take the pot off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes so the greens absorb the broth.
- Serve with a slotted spoon and ladle some of the broth (pot likker) over each portion, with hot sauce at the table.
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Tip: Serve with cornbread for soaking up the broth.

Good to know

Tips

Remove the thick center stems entirely; they stay tough and fibrous even after long cooking.
Keep the heat low during the braise; a hard boil breaks the greens down unevenly and makes them mushy.
Season with salt only at the end, after the turkey has released its saltiness into the broth.
Don't discard the pot likker; it's the best part, so serve it with cornbread or over rice.

Make ahead

Collards taste even better the next day. Cook through step 9, cool, and refrigerate in the broth up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store greens in their broth in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers with broth covering the greens; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot, adding a splash of water if needed.

Substitutions

smoked turkey wings or drumsticks → Smoked ham hock (same weight) or 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped and rendered. Ham hock gives a richer, porkier broth; it may need an extra 15 minutes of simmering before adding the greens. Reduce added salt with either.
collard greens → Mix of collards and mustard or turnip greens. Mustard and turnip greens cook faster (about 30 minutes) and add a peppery bite.
apple cider vinegar → White wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount; the flavor will be slightly sharper or fruitier.
low-sodium chicken broth → Vegetable broth or additional water. Water works since the smoked turkey flavors the pot; add a little extra salt at the end.