Brenda Cook's Collard Greens

This is what I love. A true family recipe with no specific measurements that takes talent and skill to make. Robby had these collard greens at work during a Thanksgiving party and came home declaring their greatness. Since I have never been a collard greens expert I consulted one. Here is the recipe just as she sent to to me. So try it out and with some practice maybe we can all become experts.

Here are the ingredients and I’m really sorry but it’s “to taste” and I don’t have specific measurements per se.

I use smoked turkey legs or wings which I boil with about ½ of a large onion until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.

I roll and cut and then wash the greens. It seems quicker and easier to clean once they are cut this way.

I put the greens in a large pot along with the liquid from the turkey and the reminder of the onion and more depending on your tastes and cook on a medium heat setting.

I add a mixture of the following:

-McCormick’s Monterey Steak Seasoning (sounds weird but I use it on almost everything meat or vegetable).

-If you have it, use some Johnny’s seasoning salt. You can only find it at Safeway as far as I know. I didn’t have anymore and didn’t use it on the greens yesterday. It’s the best, much better than Lawry’s or whatever the other brand is.

-Garlic salt

-Garlic powder

-Pepper

-A pinch, maybe 2 of sugar if it seems like the greens are a bit bitter.

-Chicken broth. Start with maybe a half a cup and add more if you need a more flavor.

Sometimes I remove some of the liquid halfway through the cooking time. No reason to have half a pot of liquid. Then if they aren’t seasoned enough for you, add about ½ cup more of the chicken broth then more of the other seasonings.

Cook about an hour or more until done.

You have to be careful with the salts and the chicken broth. The liquid in the greens that you taste as they cook down will not be the same as what you get at the end. It could end up being too salty. By the time the greens are at least ¾ cooked, they should taste like you want them. If they’re too salty, remove some of the juice and add a little water. They should be just right by the end.