Bacon

Beer and Bacon Braised Collard Greens

by:
August 31, 2011
4
2 Ratings
Beer and Bacon Braised Collard Greens
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This recipe is a play on a recipe from my workplace. Collard greens and mac and cheese are the two most popular dishes; so popular that we go through two cases of collard greens and five pounds of cheddar cheese a day. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, brasing the greens in a nutty beer and added a pinch of cayenne pepper to make this a Wisconsinite's twist on a Southern favorite. Serve it up with a little barbecue, and you've got a delicious (but maybe not so nutritious) meal. - stirfrei —stirfrei

Test Kitchen Notes

Stirfrei's blog may be Bacon No More, but she makes excellent use of it here. The classic combo of bacon, collards, sugar and a little bit of spice is well executed in this recipe. Plus, it's super easy to make, and you have to love an effortless side. —Stephanie Bourgeois

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 bunches collard greens, stems removed, and chopped
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon, large dice
  • 1 onion, large dice
  • 1 bottle beer, preferably a nut brown ale
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Place the bacon in a wide bottomed pot and cook over low heat. Add the onions after 10 minutes and continue cooking until bacon is crispy and onions have caramelized, stirring occassionally.
  2. Turn the heat to medium high. Add the half the collard greens and the bottle of beer. Stir with tongs or a spoon and let wilt some before adding the rest of the greens. Stir until the greens are mixed with the liquid and add the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Turn down the heat, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes or until greens are tender. Eat and enjoy.
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7 Reviews

ECMotherwell
ECMotherwell June 20, 2015
Delicious! I did switch it up a bit, as I have no sweet tooth at all: I used just a teaspoon or so of the brown sugar and added in some golden balsamic vinegar. Yum!
 
juliunruly
juliunruly February 18, 2014
Used homebrewed barleywine for this. Out-freaking-standing. These collards would do my late Southern daddy proud, and I definitely thought about him while I was eating them. Thank you so much stirfrei!
 
stirfrei
stirfrei December 22, 2011
Thank you! I appreciate the nice comments!
 
Tonyazbeauty
Tonyazbeauty December 22, 2011
I absolutely adore this recipe, I will never eat regular collards again because the flavor of this dish is so incredible. It is now my go to recipe.
 
kelly M.
kelly M. October 13, 2011
yum, just did something similiar but with chicken stock and Zinfandel to pair with wild duck breast.
 
stirfrei
stirfrei September 22, 2011
Thanks! The fried egg sounds like a wonderful addition.
 
xMarcus
xMarcus September 21, 2011
This was delish. We served it with a fried egg over top.