flipCollard Greens with Pot Likker
Collard Greens with Pot Likker
Why this dish? In Ailey's rural Texas, greens long-simmered with a piece of smoked pork were both food and medicine: the "pot likker," a dark, iron-rich broth, was drunk as a tonic and given to the sick and frail children.
Bitter greens melted for hours with a smoked pork shank until tender and silky. You serve the greens, but especially the pot likker, that reviving broth you drink by the spoonful.
When a child fell sick, or you felt weak, Grandma didn't pull out a pharmacy remedy — she handed you a bowl of pot likker. It's the juice from greens left to melt all day with a piece of smoked pork. You dip your cornbread in it, drink the rest, and feel strength come back to your legs. For a dancer who has to stand for hours, my child, there's nothing better to put the sap back in your body.
- •Collard greens — a big armful (base green)
- •Smoked pork shank or skin — one piece (flavor and fat (signature))
- •Water — enough to cover (broth)
- •Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- •Salt, pepper, pinch of chili — to taste (seasoning)
Collard Greens with Pot Likker
Bitter greens melted for hours with a smoked pork shank until tender and silky. You serve the greens, but especially the pot likker, that reviving broth you drink by the spoonful.
Why this dish? In Ailey's rural Texas, greens long-simmered with a piece of smoked pork were both food and medicine: the "pot likker," a dark, iron-rich broth, was drunk as a tonic and given to the sick and frail children.
When a child fell sick, or you felt weak, Grandma didn't pull out a pharmacy remedy — she handed you a bowl of pot likker. It's the juice from greens left to melt all day with a piece of smoked pork. You dip your cornbread in it, drink the rest, and feel strength come back to your legs. For a dancer who has to stand for hours, my child, there's nothing better to put the sap back in your body.
Ingredients (period version)
- Collard greens — a big armful (base green)
- Smoked pork shank or skin — one piece (flavor and fat (signature))
- Water — enough to cover (broth)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Salt, pepper, pinch of chili — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Collard greens or kale — 800 g (base green)
- Smoked pork shank or smoked brisket — 250 g (smoked signature)
- Sliced onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Garlic cloves — 2 (aromatic)
- Broth or water — 1 L (cooking liquid)
- Apple cider vinegar — 1 tbsp (brighten flavor)
- Salt, pepper, chili flakes — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Sauté onion and garlic, add smoked pork and water or broth, bring to a simmer.
- Let the pork simmer for 45 minutes to release its flavor.
- Wash greens thoroughly, remove tough stems, tear roughly.
- Add greens, cover, and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours until silky.
- Season with salt, pepper, vinegar, and chili at the end.
- Serve greens with a generous ladle of pot likker, and cornbread for dipping.
How it was made : Inherited from West African cuisines of simmered leafy greens, the "mess of greens" is a pillar of the African American table. The pot likker, rich in vitamins and minerals that leach into the water, was traditionally considered restorative — a true folk tonic, sometimes given to infants and convalescents.
The contemporary twist : Serve the pot likker alone, in a small bowl like a consommé, with a toasted cornbread crouton floating on top — a surprising "tonic" starter.
Sources : Adrian Miller, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, 2013 · Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, 2011
Alvin Ailey · Charactorium
