Status: Beta

Makes: 2 good-sized servings

I like my collard greens soft but not mushy, with a mix of salty and sour flavors and not too much sugar. You can achieve this by braising, but I use an electric pressure cooker – it’s much faster. This is derived from a bunch of Internet recipes and then tuned to my taste.

This recipe can be doubled, but you may run out of space to steam the greens. You can do it in batches since they’ll shrink a little.

Odd tools

• 6qt electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot.

Ingredients

Early steps (keep each separate):

• ~2 slices / 50 g bacon, thick cut, in 1 inch lardons
• half a yellow onion, chopped
• 2 clove garlic, sliced thinly
• 5 oz / one bunch collard greens, chopped (weight w/o stems)
• Small amount of neutral oil
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

Broth (combine in a bowl):

• 1/4 C water
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vinegar-based hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Crystal
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar

Procedure

• Set cooker to saute and add a bit of oil.
• Once hot, add bacon and cook to brown, maybe 3-5 minutes.
• Add onions and sprinkle a pinch of salt over them. Cook until softened, roughly another 5 minutes.
• Add garlic. Cook briefly. It’s easy to overcook the garlic.
• Add greens, another pinch of salt, and a generous amount of pepper (to your taste). Cook, tossing frequently, until shiny - you’re basically steaming them. 3-4 minutes.
  • If they don’t all fit cook in batches
• Turn off the heat.
• Add the Broth group. Use the liquid to deglaze any stuck bacon parts. Yes, it’s hard to do this through a pile of greens.
• Pressure cook on high - 10 minutes
• Quick release, open, taste. Adjust seasoning.