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Beer-Braised Collard Greens with Bacon

Collards Greens are the ultimate side dish for any Southern style BBQ dinner! This version is made with beer, bacon and onions and you just can't go wrong!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Southern
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 day 1 hour
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Stock Pot

Ingredients

  • 2-3 slices bacon
  • 1 small onion sliced thinly
  • 1 bunch collards stems removed and roughly chopped into 1-2” pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz. beer* a basic lager or pale ale
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider vinegar, white or other

Instructions

  • Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Dice bacon into small pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until it starts to render, then toss in the thinly sliced onion. Stir to coat in bacon fat, then cook for 5 minutes until softened.
  • Add in the collards, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat, and let soften for 5 minutes, then add in the beer of your choosing, stirring well. Let the bubbles dissipate, then bring to a simmer, cover and let cook down for about 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • After 45 minutes, the greens should be softened and most of the liquid should be cooked off, if there’s still a lot of liquid, remove the lid, kick the heat up to medium and let some of the liquid evaporate for another 5-10 minutes.
  • At the very end, stir in the vinegar and serve.

Notes

  1. If you'd prefer not to use beer for any reason, feel free to substitute with chicken, beef or vegetable stock or just water. You can also add a dash of honey or maple syrup to help impart that slight sweetness that the beer provides, but this is optional!