….are really pretty in their dried state. Never made them before. JByrd had shared a recipe with me using smoked hog jowls (which I didn’t even think I could obtain locally). So later today I’m gonna see if I can’t make them along with collared greens and another batch of cornbread.
We are so used to having lots of meat as a society, I feel like something is going to be missing from this meal. I would prefer a big roasted chicken with potatoes and broccoli or Brussels sprouts but this will be different.
Soaked the beans last night

Any tips on preparing the collared greens would be appreciated, I have no idea what I’m doing

If you know nothing I'd start with a can of greens from the grocery. I like adding fancy vinegar. That gives you a pretty good idea of to shoot for when making it I think and then fresh must be way better.

I’ve seen those at Save A Lot! I bought fresh ones.
I like to do things the hard way I guess

You should try some Anasazi beans, much like pintos but easier to cook and no need to soak overnight.

Boil them a bit before adding salt to the water, supposedly makes the skins softer.

Here's how I do my collards.

Peel leaves from stalk and wash well. Stack leaves into a pile and roll cigar style for ease of handling. Slice across into 3/4" strips. Be sure to get the meaty stems as long as they haven't grown tough and fibrous. Some folks strip these out, but you want the natural sugars stored in the thicker parts.

In a large heavy stock pot sear and brown about a pound or so of seasoning meat. I use smoked pork neckbones (not fatty and more flavor than meat) but any smoked meat like hocks, or turkey can work.

Once you got a good sear pour in a quart of good chicken stock, homemade best, and scrape up the fond. Bring to a boil and add in your greens packing down as you go. You need a large pot as greens are really bulky but cook down by over two thirds.

Add a second quart of stock and bring to a boil then reduce to low and let cook until desired tenderness. Hour minimum but two to three usual.

Some folks will add a little sugar, especially if they are summer greens which can be a touch bitter. Greens need the kiss of frost for the plant to store up natural sugars and become sweet. Others like a bit of vinegary tang, apple cider or even balsamic is good. I prefer to add pepper vinegar at the table, pepper sauce down here.

If using neckbones or other bone in meat pick out the bones. The jowl bacon will work for you but I don't care for alot of grease in my greens, some do.

Mama's rule on beans is salt always goes in last. She said salt will prevent the beans from softening once added. Not sure if that's true but that's the way I learned it.

Some fried taters and homegrown maters would go good with that meal.

Your momma was right. Salt is and acts as an astringent and tightens the fibers in veggies and meats.

Quote.

Mama's rule on beans is salt always goes in last. She said salt will prevent the beans from softening once added. Not sure if that's true but that's the way I learned it.

Its the other stuff in the greens that makes it good. This is classic poor people eating the uneatable and figuring out how to make it delicious and then it becomes gourmet.

Same thing happened with cats in asia.

You can buy smoked hog jowls on Amazon, but Pennsylvania should be full of butcher shops selling smoked jowls. Go to a real butcher, not a grocery store. Real butchers are much better and offer a huge variety of cuts you'll never see at a grocery store. The quality of the meat is much better at a real butcher too. You don't get any of that imported crap from a local butcher, or American produced meat, poorly hacked up by filthy Somalis.

Keith

Yep pinto beans with jowls and greens fried taters and cornbread sliced tomatoes and a big ol purple onion

That is too much food!!!

No way that’s too much food beans are always better the next day anyway

What an oddly structured sentence .

I don’t have much of an appetite lately. I cook out of an obsessive habit

I prepare collards like above but add onion and garlic to the pot . For meat I prefer smoked pork shank more meat then hocks but less fat then jowls. Have browned bacon and added it too. Crushed red pepper and some pork rub , i don't salt as the meat normally has enough .

Said no southerner ever......

I use smoked hocks and smoked pork chops.

Proven once again that mama is always right, lol.

Hocks and Ham chunks are great too!