Southern Collard Greens

One week to Tyler's wedding. I am operating at peak efficiency, which for me means the whiteboard is updated, the truck is half-packed, and I have not slept well since Tuesday because my brain is running the brisket timeline on repeat. Four briskets, fourteen hours each, two shifts on the rented smoker. Start first pair at 4 AM Friday. Start second pair at 10 AM Friday. All four wrapped and resting by Saturday morning. Wedding ceremony at 2 PM Saturday. Food service at 4 PM. The math works if nothing goes wrong. Something always goes wrong. That's what the extra hour of buffer is for.

Mai is ready. She's been making spring rolls for three days — two hundred of them, stored in the fridge in layers separated by damp cloth. She's packed her áo dài (the green one, her best) and her walker and the jade bracelet and a photograph of Huy. She said, "Huy should be there." I said, "He will be. He's in everything we do." She looked at me. She didn't argue. She knows I'm right.

Emma brought Ava over Thursday for a pre-trip visit. Ava is six months old and has successfully rolled over both directions, which she demonstrates by rolling continuously across the living room floor like a very small, very determined barrel. She rolled into the coffee table leg and laughed. This child has inherited my tolerance for impact and my tendency to find collisions amusing. She will be fine in life.

Loaded the truck Friday morning. Four coolers: one with marinated briskets, one with ribs, one with sausage filling, one with Mai's spring rolls packed in damp towels. The pecan wood was already in the bed. The rub ingredients were in a bag. The meat thermometers (three of them, because redundancy is not paranoia, it's wisdom) were in a case. Lily helped me pack while James loaded the jollof rice ingredients into his car. We were a supply chain. A delicious, family-run supply chain.

Picked up Mai at noon. Five hours to Midland. She slept for three of them. I listened to Vietnamese ballads and Merle Haggard and thought about my son getting married tomorrow and how time moves in one direction and there's nothing you can do about it except show up with a truck full of brisket and your mother in the passenger seat.

The briskets get all the glory — fourteen hours on the smoker, the whole timeline, the redundant thermometers — but every wedding spread needs something that quietly holds the plate together, and for this one, that was always going to be collard greens. Slow, forgiving, impossible to rush: they fit right in with the kind of cooking that’s really just love on a long schedule. While the meat does its work, these greens are doing theirs.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 large bunches collard greens (about 2 lbs), stems removed, leaves chopped
6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Render the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until the fat renders and the pieces begin to crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Do not drain.
Sauté aromatics. Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Build the pot liquor. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Add the ham hock, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
Add the greens. Add the chopped collard greens in large handfuls, pressing them down as they wilt. The pot will be full — they will cook down significantly. Stir well to coat in the liquid.
Slow cook. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the greens are deeply tender and silky and the pot liquor is rich and flavorful.
Finish and adjust. Remove the ham hock. Shred any meat from the bone and stir it back into the greens. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed. Serve hot with pot liquor spooned over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Southern Collard Greens — The Side Dish That Holds a Wedding Together