RECIPE AT THE TOP #4: smoky + tart mexican braised green sauce 🥬
the cozy sweater version of cooked greens
Yes! Here is the recipe: AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. Blurb comes after — what a concept 🤯
BIG BATCH SMOKY + TART MEXICAN BRAISED GREEN SAUCE
Ingredients
4 bunches collard greens (stems and ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped)
2 cups chives (roughly chopped) OR 3-4T dried minced onion
12-16 cloves garlic
8T salted grass fed butter
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ancho chili powder
salt + pepper (to taste)
bonus points if you have smoked sea salt
2 cups chicken broth / bone broth / vegetable broth
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
juice from 4 limes
Directions
in a dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat until the butter melts and starts bubbling without browning.
add the collards and chives / minced onion, mix together until they are coated evenly with the butter.
let them heat through and release some moisture, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
add the garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, salt + pepper, and lower the heat to low. cook 15-20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure that the greens are not browning.
add the broth and cook uncovered until the liquid has evaporated by half — the greens should be much duller in color and very soft.
lastly, add the ACV and lime juice, stir to combine. adjust salt + pepper as needed.
in a high-powered blender or food processor, blend the greens until they are turned into something slightly more liquidy than a paste. thin with water if needed.
store in a jar in the fridge or freeze in ice cube trays and store in a freezer bag.
Getting your daily dose of dark leafy greens is so important in creating a healthful eating pattern. Daily doses are difficult though. It seems to be a little strict and takes up a lot of brain space, if you ask me — who actually needs another thing to add to their daily checklist?? So even if you aren’t getting them every single day, they really should be a regular on your grocery list so that you know that you are going to use them in one way or another during the course of your week. Kale, spinach, collards, romaine, broccoli, cabbage, swiss chard, arugula, bok choy, turnip greens, beet greens, dandelion greens, the list goes on.
They are arguably going to pull the most weight when it comes to keeping several of your bodily systems in check — they are incredibly nutrient dense. Generally speaking, they are high in vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as calcium, folate, and fiber. From balancing our hormones to fighting inflammation to improving digestion, dark leafy greens have got you covered. Add them to salads, smoothies, soups, rice dishes, etc.
But today we’re here talking about braised greens. Collard greens. This way of cooking may not retain the most nutrients as raw or lightly steamed greens will, but it’s oh so cozy for this time of year. In another one of my ramblings on vegetables, I’ve provided the idea that you can add other dark leafy greens into the mix (kale, spinach, dark green parts of leeks, etc), and I think that would work beautifully in the recipe above as well. But I kept it strictly to collards because that’s what I had. And I tested using both fresh chives and dried minced onion (again, laziness prevails). Both worked wonders.
This recipe though — it has me drooling like Homer Simpson thinking about donuts. Smoky? Tart? AND Bitter? Only one of these descriptors is one that I would think of when it comes to the flavors associated with collard greens. When I was developing this recipe, the smokiness seemed like a more natural addition — the collard greens of a “Meat and Three” or “Soul Food” spot are traditionally cooked down with a smoky salty ham hock and served alongside those smoky BBQ meats etc. Absolutely complementary. But the boldness of the acidity of the lime juice? That was an incredible discovery to me that the tartness actually works.
How did I stumble upon this moment of genius? (i’m more humble in real life, i promise.) I was making my crockpot shredded pork and needed to use my greens. But I wasn’t making it BBQ style. I make this shredded pork so much in our house. It’s a biweekly, if not weekly staple. Usually, I go down the Mexican route and turn it into my version of carnitas. But I had a bunch of beautiful collards on hand from the market, as they are in their absolute prime this time of year. When I have had braised greens in the past, I have always kept it pretty straightforward and not added too many flavorful spices, just salt + pepper and a little acid from some apple cider vinegar and / or dijon mustard. And then I’ll pair that with some specialty sausages from the farmers market, but we haven’t had those on hand for a while for whatever reason. So, I was stuck in a moment of, ummm will this work? We’re going to find out! And it did. I mixed the braised green sauce with some cooked rice, topped it with the shredded pork and immediately decided that this meal will be a regular during collard green season (and beyond, if i’m smart)
So how do you use them?
Like I’ve talked about before in this newsletter, your freezer is your best friend, your saving grace, your treasure chest. I could write a love letter about my freezers. Make this braised green sauce in a big batch, like I have suggested above — use some of it that week for a recipe, squirrel the rest of it away for the 3 recipe ideas below, and you’ll be rich in delicious braised greens 😘🐿️ 🤑
First: GREEN RICE
Mix the braised green sauce with cooked rice for a stupid easy way to make a stunning side dish. It’s like risotto on ‘roids. Roidsotto. For every 6 cups of cooked rice (the average yield from 2 cups uncooked rice), add 2 cups of braised green sauce. Pair it with shredded pork, stir-fried “fajita-style” vegetables and beans, maybe some pre-sautéed vegetables?
Second: LEVEL UP YOUR SOUP BROTH
Since we are firmly in SOUP SZN, I have probably the simplest way to add a certain complexity to your soup du jour. I did this recently to make my improvised version of Chicken Tortilla Soup, I just turned it green 💚 (I think the process went something like this: sauté diced onions, garlic, and jalapeño - cook until soft; add cumin, oregano, chili powder - cook 30 seconds; add broth, shredded chicken, kidney beans, frozen corn - boil; add braised green sauce to taste; season with salt + pepper; garnish with crushed tortilla chips.) I can also see this going well as an addition to individual bowls of chili — I’ll test that out and report back 🫡
Third: WITH BEANS ON TOAST
Here you’ve got a couple ways to try out a twist on the British-ish classic. Just make sure the braised green sauce is warmed through in one way or another. One way would be to heat the beans and the sauce together, then pile it all on the toast. Another way would be to heat the sauce, spread it on the toast with a knife or the back of a spoon, then pile the beans on top, seasoning with salt + pepper and maybe a little hot sauce. Beans on toast is a great meal that you can adjust any which way to your liking.
For another great resource and handy chart system for braising greens, here is a wonderful issue from
of which came out earlier this week. Kismet!Now what are you waiting for? Go get your greens! And report back — I want to hear all about how you’re cooking and eating these autumnal gems while the gettin’s good.
Bringing this newsletter to you each week is a real joy and it is saving me from completely losing my mind for a multitude of reasons. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here.
❤️ Sarah