When making healthier collard greens without pork, many people nowadays use smoked turkey. The traditional Black-American preparation involves slowly cooking down a ham hock. The meat breaks down, and the greens get seasoned with the pork fat that renders off. However, for health reasons, I’m constantly creating healthier versions of classic dishes, such as Vegan Sautéed Collard Greens, Baked Beans, and Rhode Island Clam Chowder. Because going meatless is not for everyone (and neither is a fatty ham hock), using smoked pork chops with veggie stock is a good middle ground with these greens.
Pork chops are prone to drying out, so keep them submerged in the simmering liquid until they fall apart. You’re then left with a delicious, smoky-seasoned broth. Smoked pork chops do have a little streak of fat on the edge and a small bone inside, so keep those in the simmering liquid to impart some flavor.
Look for smoked pork chops for a smoky and lean protein base for these collard greens.
The broth is jam-packed with onion, garlic, plus red pepper flakes to add some heat.
For an added kick of freshness, make a batch of my fresh Southern Sofrito, then store leftovers in the freezer for later use. This sofrito is a green tomato-based blend of herbs and aromatics that are used in American Southern food recipes — parsley, tabasco peppers, plus the “holy trinity” veggie mixture that is traditionally used in gumbo. Use sofrito as a sauté flavor base at the beginning of any recipe. Also, stir in some fresh sofrito upon completion of your greens to give them an aromatic flavor lift.
Cut the washed collard greens into thin ribbons called “chiffonade”.
Healthier Collard Greens with Smoked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 bunches collard greens (about 12 to 16 stalks)
- 2 smoked pork chops
- 2 onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Southern Sofrito
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Fill a large pot of water with 8 cups of water. Cut the onions in half pole to pole and smash your garlic cloves. Into the pot, add the smoked pork chops, onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Over high heat, bring everything to a brief boil for a few minutes,then reduce heat to low. Simmer this with the lid ajar until the meat falls apart easily, approximately 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, remove the collared green stems with a paring knife. To clean them, soak the leaves in a separate large pot of salt water for about 30 minutes. Gently agitate them with your fingers to remove any dirt. Transfer the leaves to a strainer over a sink for a second rinse.
- Slice the cleaned leaves crosswise into thin 1/4-inch ribbons and set aside.
- After the smoked pork chops are easily falling apart, break up the meat with your fingers and discard any bone that might be present. Fish out the broken down onions and garlic; press them in a fine mesh strainer to extract only the juices into the broth and discard the solids.
- Add the prepared collard green ribbons to the broth and bring them to a boil for a few minutes. Reduce heat and simmer the greens until greens are tender. Season with salt to taste.
- Upon completion, stir in a 1/4 cup of my Southern Sofrito.
