Collard Greens with Bacon -- The Side Dish That Belongs on Every Southern Porch

September 2023. Fall in Memphis, and I am 64, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Marcus and Angela in Whitehaven, building their family, their house full of the sounds I remember from our own early years — a baby's laugh, a spouse's voice, the daily music of people learning to live together. Naomi growing with the speed of childhood, each visit revealing a new word, a new capability, a new expression that catches my breath because it echoes someone I lost.

I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the king, the classic, fourteen hours over hickory. The bark was dark and the smoke ring deep and the meat fell apart in my hands with the familiar magic of something that has been loved patiently. I served it on white bread with coleslaw and vinegar sauce, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I teach everyone who stands next to my smoker, because the serving is the tradition and the tradition is the point.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

After fourteen hours tending that pork shoulder and serving it the way Uncle Clyde taught me, I needed something on that plate that could hold its own — something that had been cooked with the same patience and love as the meat itself. Collard greens with bacon are that dish for me: low and slow, a little smoky, a little sharp from the vinegar, the kind of thing Rosetta and I have had on our table so many times that making them feels less like cooking and more like memory. Here’s how I do it.

Collard Greens with Bacon

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh collard greens, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance bitterness)

Instructions

1. Render the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until the fat is rendered and the bacon is just beginning to crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Soften the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Build the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and add the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and sugar if using. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Add the greens. Working in batches if needed, add the chopped collard greens to the pot, stirring to wilt each addition before adding more. Return the cooked bacon to the pot.
5. Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the greens are very tender and have absorbed the smoky broth. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed.
6. Serve. Ladle into bowls or onto plates alongside smoked pork, cornbread, or white bread, making sure to spoon some of the pot likker over everything.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 180 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 520mg