Collard Greens & Pork Soup

INGREDIENTS...
DIRECTION...

2 ounces salt pork or pork jowl, cut into 1/4" x 1/4" x 1" strips
     Place a 6 qt stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
     Fry the salt pork for a few minutes to release fat & liquid.
     The pork bits are called "lardons". Remove & reserve.
3 pork chops (bone in preferred!)
     sear chops on both sides. allow to cool. Remove bones & reserve bones & meat.
1 large onion, large dice (3/4 inch)
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
     add, saute until onion is translucent
2 cloves garlic
     add, stir in well, don't let it get too dark
2 large bunches of collard greens, well-washed, shredded* (or 2 bags chopped, pre-washed)
     stir in chopped greens, until wilted
3-4 quarts fresh water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
     add just enough water to cover the contents of the pot.
     Add half of the lardons.
     Also add the bones from the pork chops, if there were any.
     Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. The amount of time will vary with how young & tender the greens were to start with.
     Test for doneness of greens - they should be very tender!
1 (15 ounce) can navy beans, drained, rinsed **
     Remove bones from the soup
     Dice the reserved pork chops, and add to the soup.
     Stir in beans, and heat through, approx 5 more minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle a few crispy lardons on top, and a drizzle of 3-2-1 sauce. Serve with crusty bread or fresh cornbread.


3-2-1 sauce
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1 tablespoon of prepared red chili. I like the Lee Kum Kee stuff that comes in 4 oz jars.
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon cider vinegar
mix together & serve with soup.

JoAnna Minneci, http://ChefJoAnna.com/

* lay out leaves flat, use a knife to cut out ribs, then arrange into layers. Roll up into a huge cigar shape, and cut cigar lengthwise down the middle. Stack the two sides and slice into 1/2" strips.

** of course you can soak and simmer your own dried beans, but I'd be so proud of you if you made soup in the first place I can forgive you for opening a can of prepared beans. <3 Technorati Tags: Chef JoAnna is a classically trained chef and Food Blogger who's starting Mockingbird Acres a Bed & Bistro in Prospect, TN (In Giles County)