Braised Kale

Simple braise, full of flavor

Braised with olive oil, garlic, and chicken stock this easy green kale recipe is the perfect southern-style dish. Low temperature and slow cooking makes for great comfort food. You can’t substitute time for flavor.
For other food for comfort serve Homemade Turkey Consommé.

cooking information

• Yield: 3-4 cups
• Prep Time: 10-30 minutes
• Cooking Time: 1 ½ hours

all ingredients

• 1 Bag or 2 Bunches of Cleaned Kale
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• ½ Tb Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Smoked Ham Hock
• 2 Cups of Chicken Stock
• 2 tsp Nutmeg
• Salt/ Pepper
• Oil

recipe instruction

1. First you want to clean and prepare your kale. If bought in the bag, the hard work is all finished. If you buy it by the bunch then you want to make sure you wash each leaf and remove the stem and coarsely chop it.

2. In a sauce pot you want to add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom. Smash your garlic with the side of a knife but don’t worry about finely mincing it. Add your garlic to the pot with the red pepper flakes and ham hock.

3. Turn to medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add ½ of your kale. Toss with the oil and let it begin to wilt. Once it has started wilting add the second portion of the kale. Coat with the oil and sauté until all of it is cooked down.

4. After the kale has reduced by half, season with salt and pepper, add your nutmeg and chicken stock. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for an hour.

5. Once it has cooked a long time, turn off the heat, serve and enjoy!

cooking tips

• This recipe works with any dark leafy green. (i.e. Turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens, and swiss chard.)
• Smoked ham hocks are available at most grocery stores. They are usually available near the cured and cottage hams. You may want to ask the butcher department if you are having troubles finding them. If you can’t find them for some reason you can always substitute with diced bacon or simply any piece of smoked ham.