Tonight I made Melissa Clark's recipe for Ham Bone Soup from her new cookbook Cook It Now. (This recipe also appeared in the New York Times -- link is below). The soup is very easy to put together. You saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic in some bacon fat, then add water and your ham bone. You then cook dried beans (I used cannellini beans) in the broth and eventually add cabbage and kale. The soup is garnished with some crispy bacon. Wow, in spite of all of the humble ingredients, this soup had so much meaty, rich flavor. It was amazing -- the perfect dinner for a chilly, Sunday December evening!
How could I forget an element of collard greens a table spoon of white vinegar about mid way through cooking.
If you start now, you could also make a condiment that's used with greens in the south...hot small green or red peppers bottled with hot vinegar and left to step for a month or so. There are quick recipes for that or commercial 'pepper sauce' with peppers in vinegar in little shaker top bottles. Just a few drops to taste on the greens when serving..the dinner does that to taste.
Freeze it for new year's day or eve..and make collards (or kale). Also blackeyed peas. I perfer bone with black eyed peas (or cow peas), and salt back (salted pork belly) for the greens.
As for tips for the greens...wash them very well, trim the hard stems out. Some people even use a washing machine to fill with water and slightly agitate to remove the sand from the greens and spin dry, Then trim and cut them up.
Put in the ham bone (or render some of the cubed salt pork) in a pot and add a bit of chicken stock. Chop up an onion add that, add a clove of garlic, a bit of the stock and. Wait until wilted, add more green, repeat until the greens fit in the pot. More stock to almost cover..add a tsp or two of sugar. Then cook a long time on low, so you get the 'likker'. (yes, I know, but that's the traditional way).
Doesn't Australia also have a new years tradition of hiding a coin in peas cooked with ham for New Years..and the person that gets the coin has 'luck' that year?
The southerners call the juices in the bottom of the ham bone pan, "pot likker"...if you still have those, brise your greens in them, if not, follow my directions for making bean soup, and use half of the stock for the greens. http://www.food52.com/recipes/14963_sunday_supperpart_i_italian_country_ham_and_beans
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/dining/26apperex.html?ref=dining
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7158_porkys_peas
we just finished off a pot of them
If you start now, you could also make a condiment that's used with greens in the south...hot small green or red peppers bottled with hot vinegar and left to step for a month or so. There are quick recipes for that or commercial 'pepper sauce' with peppers in vinegar in little shaker top bottles. Just a few drops to taste on the greens when serving..the dinner does that to taste.
As for tips for the greens...wash them very well, trim the hard stems out. Some people even use a washing machine to fill with water and slightly agitate to remove the sand from the greens and spin dry, Then trim and cut them up.
Put in the ham bone (or render some of the cubed salt pork) in a pot and add a bit of chicken stock. Chop up an onion add that, add a clove of garlic, a bit of the stock and. Wait until wilted, add more green, repeat until the greens fit in the pot. More stock to almost cover..add a tsp or two of sugar. Then cook a long time on low, so you get the 'likker'. (yes, I know, but that's the traditional way).
Doesn't Australia also have a new years tradition of hiding a coin in peas cooked with ham for New Years..and the person that gets the coin has 'luck' that year?