Bacon-braised collard greens

Tough-stemmed greens do not become tender by accident. Collards need real time in liquid over real heat, and the temptation on a busy night is to pull them off the burner before the stems have really let go. Give them the full simmer here and you get greens that are properly soft, not just wilted.

Collards are a source of vitamin K and folate, along with fiber your gut microbes are actively working with, and braising them in broth rather than serving them raw makes that fiber gentler on digestion while you are healing. The apple cider vinegar stirred in near the end is what actually wakes the dish up, cutting through the richness of the bacon fat the greens have been cooking in.

Source that bacon with some care if you can, since it is the animal doing real work in this dish, carrying its fat through every leaf. Let the greens go all the way tender before you call it done, and take a breath before the first bite. A pot of greens cooked with this much patience is worth being present for.

Ingredients

• 3 bunches collard greens, chopped, tough stems removed
• 6 strips bacon, diced
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Method

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until it crisps and renders its fat. Add the chopped collard greens and stir them into the bacon and fat, cooking about five minutes until they begin to wilt.

Pour in the apple cider vinegar, which stands in for the balsamic the original uses, and cook a few minutes more so the greens take on the brightness.

Add the chicken broth, lower the heat, and let everything simmer gently until the greens are tender. Season with the sea salt to finish. The black pepper from the source is left out here, since seed-based spices are set aside during the elimination phase.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*