South by Southwest Greens in Potlikker

Name: South by Southwest Greens in Potlikker
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H20M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT2H0M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H20M0.000S
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds assorted greens, such as collards, beet tops, turnip tops, kale, chard, dandelion, escarole (whatever that you can get that is strong and a little bitter), washed and roughly chopped; 1 pound slab bacon, diced into cubes and cooked; 1 cup cider vinegar; 1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled; Pork Stock, recipe follows; 2 green chiles, such as poblano or hatch; 8 ounces tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano; 2 cups cooked or canned black-eyed peas; Handful fresh cilantro, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped; Juice of 2 limes; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 pounds pork stew bones or neck bones; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 2 onions, quartered; 1 head garlic, halved

Getting reviews...

This is a Texas take on the southern favorite, collards in potlikker. I loved the idea of marrying tomatillo sauce with potlikker; the smoke and vinegar of the potlikker with the spicy, bright taste of the tomatillo sauce seemed like a fabulous idea to me. When the farmers gave me gorgeous purple hull peas, I knew I had to include them too. Black-eyed peas substitute perfectly fine for the elusive and rare purple hulls.

Level: Easy
Total: 2 hr 20 min

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 hr

Yield: 6 servings

Level: Easy
Total: 2 hr 20 min

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 hr

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds assorted greens, such as collards, beet tops, turnip tops, kale, chard, dandelion, escarole (whatever that you can get that is strong and a little bitter), washed and roughly chopped

1 pound slab bacon, diced into cubes and cooked

1 cup cider vinegar

1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled

Pork Stock, recipe follows

2 green chiles, such as poblano or hatch

8 ounces tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano

2 cups cooked or canned black-eyed peas

Handful fresh cilantro, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork Stock:

2 pounds pork stew bones or neck bones

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 onions, quartered

1 head garlic, halved

Directions

Combine the greens, bacon, vinegar, garlic and Pork Stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and then pull back to a simmer.
While the greens are simmering, roast the chiles over an open flame (if you have one) until the skin is blackened. If you have an electric oven, broil the chiles, turning over after a couple of minutes. You want the skin to be black but the pepper inside to still be moist. When they are cool enough to handle, peel, deseed and chop into small pieces.
Stir the tomatillos into the greens along with the chiles, cumin and oregano and cook 30 minutes. Add the peas and cilantro and simmer, another 10 minutes or so.
Squeeze the lime juice over the greens, season with salt and black pepper and serve!

Pork Stock:

Combine the pork bones, salt, onions, garlic and 3 quarts water in a pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that comes to the surface. Turn the heat back to medium low and simmer, about 1 hour. Strain the stock.

Cook’s Note

Really be sure you wash the greens several times; these bitter babies love the dirt and sand and once they are in your pork stock there is no going back.