Pinto beans

….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!

Did you say pinto ??

I like pinto and black eye peas.

The only thing Id say , to add lots of, to all of what you fix, is plenty of buttah. Sounds like you're onto a great meal.

Buttah. The secret to life.

^^^what a beauty!!!!

Sharon this cornbread recipe calls for an entire stick of butter!! Lordy!

Do it ! And let us know.

Instead of regular salt I use granulated tomato / chicken bullion, Knorr makes it.

Lets see that cornbread after you cook it.

Good deal, Ashley...every southern meal I prepare, there is lots of buttah in and on it. It really does add so much rich homey taste to them. You will have fun with all this.

I ain’t cooked the greens yet. Closer to dinner time! But washed and cut em up like warrior said!

Hey the house smells good anyways!

Must be cooking outdoors. Some leaves done fell in it.

Your cornbread looks perfect !

Thank you! Air fryer to the rescue again! Surprised how well it works

Or maybe they’re katydids!!!

Same thing I thought ! Well done .

You might not think that once them collards get going, lol. Mama refused to cook collards as she said they stunk up the house. Which is funny because she loved cabbage and we ate boiled cabbage regularly. I had to go to granny for my collard fix.

The vinegar from pickled hot peppers get sprinkled/dosed on the collards after serving on the plate. It will be on the table in all the high class Southern restaurants.

Daddy did not do hot anything but would grow cowhorn peppers every year just for pepper sauce for greens.

Get you some Red beans, Camela preferably or blue runner.Putem in a crockpot add a couple links of smoke sausage and onion Salt pepper And Tony chaceries seasoning put enough water to cover cook on low and keep an eye on them add water as needed ,takes about 6 hours they will get tender and creamy the longer you cook don't over water them or they will be runny. I do not prefer watery beans.
Collards.cook about 8 slices of Bacon down and pour the bacon grease over in them while they are cooking.you can add the bacon back to it if you like.

This is good advice. Warrior mentions not liking greasy greens but I prefer them with good dose of fat. It's por peoples meat. I really like using smoked turkey tails.

When you cook the collards, make sure to close all the windows and doors or the blowflys will fill your house.

Idk why everyone thinks they smell so bad?? Maybe if you boil them. I fried them in Bacon grease with garlic and onions and added honey and hot sauce at the end.

They were good….but I think kale is tastier

with all the cook[ng that goes on on around heresomene should write a trapperman cook book.