Patti LaBelle's Super-Easy Greens Have a Surprising Secret Ingredient
Patti LaBelle's Mean Greens
Being born in a very small town in Alabama, I am no stranger to the time-honored tradition of eating Hoppin’ John and collard greens on the first of every year. I never quite understood how or why it was, but doing so was supposed to bring you good luck throughout the rest of the year. As a matter of fact, I never quite understood why half of the meal, which was essentially a souped-up version of black-eyed peas, was called Hoppin’ John because depending on which side of the family you asked, you’d always get a different answer.
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Nonetheless, eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day is one of many deep Southern traditions and one that we still try to adhere to today—with some modifications. As the children in the family began to mature, so did our habits and beliefs. Some of us went vegan, others went pescatarian and while I personally gave up pork, I understand where everyone else is coming from. But since we’ve begun making our own dietary decisions, there’s been a friendly rift growing between the new-school and old-school members of the family.
It's quite common at our family gatherings these days to see traditional meals being remixed to accommodate the preferences of the younger members. Often there are even two sets of the same dish—the traditional version and “that other'' version. But to my excitement and now to my defense, I’ve come across a recipe for greens that not even the eldest member of the family would argue against. And guess what? it’s not sticking to tradition.
Get the recipe: Patti LaBelle's Mean Greens
Courtesy of Dante Parker
Ingredients for Patti LaBelle’s Mean Greens
Typically, there is an argument among my extended family about how the greens should be prepared. Traditionally, pork neck bones or ham hocks are the go-to meat thrown in the pot for seasoning, but the younger members of the family have been leaning more toward smoked turkey as a more conscious substitute. If you let the older generation tell it, us young folks “don’t know nothing about greens,” but I think they might sing a different tune after seeing what meat the Godmother of Soul is using in her recipe.
To start, you will need two pounds of collard greens (stemmed and chopped), smoked turkey leg (chopped into cubes), chicken stock, chopped onions, grapeseed oil and some salt, pepper and seasoning salt for flavoring.
Courtesy of Dante Parker
How to Make Patti LaBelle’s Mean Greens
Now there's a lot of debate about my next observation, but the instructions listed did not mention anything about washing the greens before putting them in the pot. Do with that what you will, but I personally think that step one should have been to wash the greens.
After you've made the decision to either wash or not, place a large pot over medium-high heat and coat it with the grapeseed oil. Then add the collards, chicken stock, onions, kosher salt, season salt and pepper. Next, mix in the smoked turkey, turn the heat down low and place a lid on the pot. Allow the greens to cook for about 35 minutes until tender, but not too soft.
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Courtesy of Dante Parker
What I Thought of Patti LaBelle’s Mean Greens
I thought these greens were great! I was pleasantly surprised at how—with such a short cook time and only a few ingredients—these greens had such a full, rich flavor. This will honestly be my go-to recipe for greens moving forward. For me, the only thing missing was the black-eyed peas to make it feel like a proper New Year's meal, but I did happen to have a side of mac and cheese (which I prefer anyway).
Courtesy of Dante Parker
Tips for Making Patti LaBelle’s Mean Greens
Wash the greens before cooking. My only tip that I can offer is to thoroughly wash the greens before cooking to make sure you get any dirt off that's hiding out. But beyond that, just follow Patti's instructions—she knows what she’s doing.
