Pan Fried Collard Greens (Couve a Mineira)

Fried Collard Greens, known in Brazil as Couve a Mineira, are thinly sliced, sautéed collard greens with garlic and sometimes bacon. They are quick to make, garlicky, tender, and quite delish. It is Brazilian soul food at its finest, often served with feijoada or meats. Plus, learn how to clean and cut collard greens properly. 

WHAT EXACTLY ARE COLLARD GREENS?

Collard greens are a leafy vegetable common in the Southern U.S., Brazil, Portugal, some parts of Africa, and some other places. They have dark green leaves with tough stems and are a member of the cruciferous family that includes kale, turnips, mustard, cauliflower, cabbage, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

The name "collard" comes from the word "colewort" which means “the wild cabbage plant.” Collard greens have been a part of many ancient people’s diets for at least 2,000 years, such as the Greeks and Romans way back in the 1^st century.

ARE THEM GOOD FOR YOU?

Collard greens has many benefits, especially when eaten raw or steamed. Research has proven that steamed collard greens have either equal or better–cholesterol-lowering properties than other leafy relatives. 

According to registered dietitian Rima Kleiner , collard greens are:

• Low in calories (35 calories in half a cup of cooked greens)
• Rich in folate, calcium, dietary fiber, and vitamins E, A, K, and C.

In addition, raw collard greens are 90% water, 6% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contain less than 1% fat.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOUTHERN COLLARD GREENS AND BRAZILIAN COLLARD GREENS

In Brazil, collard greens are pan-fried with garlic and sometimes bacon pieces which Brazilians call couve à mineira. They are enjoyed all year round as a side for meats and feijoada. They are also added as an ingredient to caldo verde.

In the Southern United States, collard greens are stewed in broth along with smoked and salted meats such as ham hocks, onions, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sometimes sugar. They are traditionally served on New Year's Eve, along with black-eyed peas and cornbread, to bring wealth in the new year. 

HOW DO YOU PREPARE COLLARD GREENS?

There are several steps to properly prepare collard greens:

1. How to select: Choose collard greens with firm and vibrant green leaves. This indicates that they are fresh. Avoid greens that have yellow or brown leaves.
2. How to store: Do not wash collard greens until just before prepping them. That said, the best way to store them is to keep the greens in a plastic bag (with as little air as possible) in the produce drawer of the fridge for 3-5 days.
3. How to clean and prepare: To clean collard greens well, submerge them in water to loosen any grit, then wash them under cold running water and dry. Next, cut collard greens according to the recipe preparation. You may roughly chop them, or chiffonade (thinly slice).
4. How to cook: Collard greens can be cooked in different way such as steaming for 3-5 minutes, pan-frying (Brazilian collard greens), deep-frying, stewing (Southern Collard Greens), and even grilling.

FAQs

HOW TO GET THE BITTERNESS OUT OF THE GREENS

There is more than one way. Here are a couple:

• Add a teaspoon or more of salt, sugar, or lemon juice when cooking them.
• Do not overcook collard greens; otherwise they may become unbearably bitter.

HOW TO TENDERIZE COLLARD GREENS

There is more than one way to tenderize collard greens:

• Soak chopped greens in boiling water for about 10 seconds, or pour boiling water over collard greens in a collander,
• Add a pinch of baking soda to a boiling pot of greens. A foam will appear, and then dissipate. Then, proceed to cook them according to the recipe.

CAN YOU OVERCOOK THESE GREENS?

Some say that it is possible to overcook them, making them overly bitter.

On the other hand, it is the view of some that collard greens are impossible to overcook. This is based on the fact that some traditional recipes call for cooking them for hours, either on the stovetop or in the slow cooker for periods ranging from 30 minutes to overnight.

The risk of overcooking collard greens actually depends a lot on what cooking method one uses. You may be able to stew them for hours without overcooking them... but just go and try to deep-fry thinly-sliced collard greens for more than 20-30 seconds and you will wind up with something that looks like ashes.

HOW TO CLEAN COLLARD GREENS (STEP-BY-STEP)

1. Remove any yellow or limp leaves when separating the bunch.
2. Submerge the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around vigorously. Then, remove the leaves from the water and re-fill the bowl with clean water, repeating this process 2 to 3 times, or until grit comes off. (SEE PIC. 1)
3. Pat dry, or spin the greens until dry.

TO CUT FRESH COLLARD GREENS

1. Cut off the tough stems. 
2. Stack leaves together in a pile. (SEE PIC.2 above)
3. Then, you can fold them in half, cut off the center veins (SEE PIC. 3 above),  and chop them into uniform or different sizes, depending upon the recipe. Or, you can sort and place leaves of similar size together in a pile, roll them tightly like a cigar, and thinly slice them (chiffonade) into strips (SEE PIC. 4 above). For traditional Fried Collard Greens or Couve à Mineira, slice them into strips 2–3 mm wide (i.e. 0.079–0.118-inches) if by machine, or ¼ inch if by hand. In Brazil, they are available precut at some grocery stores.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED COLLARD GREENS WITH BACON OR WITHOUT (COUVE A MINEIRA)

1. CLEAN COLLARD GREENS: Remove any yellow or limp leaves when separating the bunch of collard greens. Submerge the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around vigorously. Then, remove the leaves from the water and re-fill the bowl with clean water, repeating this process 2 to 3 times, or until grit comes off. Pat dry, or spin the greens until dry.
2. CUT COLLARD GREENS: Cut off the tough stems and then the center veins. Sort and place leaves of similar size together in a pile, roll them tightly like a cigar, and thinly slice them (chiffonade) crosswise into about ¼-inch wide strips.
3. TENDERIZE GREENS: In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Place the cut leaves into a colander. Pour the boiling water over the leaves to slightly wilt them and then drain well to remove all the excess liquid (you can shake the colander or press down gently on the greens with a spoon).
4. COOK COLLARD GREENS: If making with bacon (couve a mineira com bacon), cook the diced bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until there are no more pink, white, or translucent areas on the bacon, about 5-7 minutes. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of oil in order to add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 60-90 seconds. If not cooking with bacon (couve a mineira sem bacon), skip that step and cook garlic with oil over medium heat.
5. Add greens and sprinkle salt, pepper, and the bouillon powder (optional). Cook, stirring often, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until greens are tender but still bright green. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve garlicky collard greens warm!

STORAGE

• Store fried collard greens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• You may freeze for to 1 month but they may become mushy.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH

Here is a list of 12 dishes to serve collard greens with:

• Feijoada
• Vegeterian Feijoada
• Picanha
• Fried Chicken
• Microwave Mac and Cheese
• Blackstone Pork Chops
• Beef Brisket
• Brazilian Pork Ribs
•  Garlic Pork Loin
• Slow Cooker Sugar-Free Cola BBQ Ribs 
• Salmon Fish Cakes 
• Air Fryer Fish Fillets  

OTHER COLLARD GREENS DISHES

• Portuguese Kale Soup (Caldo Verde)
• Rainbow Collard Green Wraps 
• Italian Sausage Soup 
• Ethiopian Cottage Cheese with Collard Greens 
• Coconut Braised Vegan Collard Greens 
• Sunflower Wrap 
• Instant Pot Southern Collard Greens 
• One Pot Collard Greens with Rice and Sausage 

PIN & ENJOY!