Recipe: Southern Greens and Biscuits (2024)

For the greens:

• 3 tablespoons

  canola oil

• 3 to 4

  (1/4-inch-thick) pieces country ham (about 1 pound, see Recipe Notes)

• 1

  medium sweet or yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves

  garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons

  apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons

  granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon

  red pepper flakes, plus more as needed

• 1 bunch

  collard greens (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), ends trimmed and coarsely chopped

• 1 bunch

  mustard greens (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), ends trimmed and coarsely chopped

• 1 bunch

  Swiss chard (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), ends trimmed and coarsely chopped

• 2 cups

  low-sodium chicken broth

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Basic Southern Biscuits:

• Butter, softened or melted, for brushing

• 2 1/4 cups

  self-rising flour, divided

• 1/4 cup

  chilled shortening, lard, and/or butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

• 1/4 cup

  chilled shortening, lard, and/or butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 cup

  whole milk or buttermilk, divided

For the greens:

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet, cast iron preferred, over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until it starts to pop, about 1 minute. Add the ham and cook until browned and crisp on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a few layers of paper towel; set aside. (If making the biscuits, arrange a rack at the top of the oven and heat to 425°F.)

2. Add the onion and garlic to the grease in the skillet and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes more.

3. Add the collards and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mustard greens and stir to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard and stir to combine.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens are soft and most of the liquid is gone, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, bake the biscuits (recipe below).

5. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch more pepper flakes as needed. Break the ham into little pieces. Place on top of the greens and serve with the biscuits.

For the biscuits:

1. If you have not already done so, arrange a rack at the top of the oven and heat to 425°F. Make sure there is enough space above the rack for the biscuits to rise. If there isn't, move the rack down one space.

2. Select the baking pan by determining if a soft or crisp exterior is desired. For a soft exterior, use an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan, pizza pan, or ovenproof skillet where the biscuits will nestle together snugly, creating the soft exterior while baking. For a crisp exterior, select a baking sheet or other baking pan where the biscuits can be placed wider apart, allowing air to circulate and create a crisper exterior; brush the selected pan with butter.

3. Place 2 cups of the flour in a large bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, and whisk to aerate. Scatter the 1/4-inch pieces of chilled fat over the flour and work in by rubbing fingers with the fat and flour as if snapping thumb and fingers together (or use 2 forks or knives, or a pastry cutter) until the mixture looks well-crumbled.

4. Scatter the 1/2-inch pieces of chilled fat over the flour mixture and continue snapping thumb and fingers together until no pieces remain larger than a pebble. Shake the bowl occasionally to allow the larger pieces of fat to bounce to the top of the flour, revealing the largest lumps that still need rubbing. The quicker, the better. If this method takes longer than 5 minutes, move the bowl to the refrigerator for 5 minutes to re-chill the fat.

5. Make a deep well in the center of the flour mixture with the back of your hand. Slowly but steadily stir 3 ⁄4 cup of the milk or buttermilk into the well. With a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, and using broad circular strokes, quickly stir the flour into the milk. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the lumpy, sticky dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If there is some flour remaining on the bottom and sides of the bowl, stir in 1 to 4 tablespoons of the remaining 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk, just enough to incorporate the remaining flour into the shaggy, wettish dough. If the dough is too wet, use more flour when shaping.

6. Lightly sprinkle a work surface with some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out onto the board and sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold the dough in half and pat it into a 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Flour again if necessary and fold the dough in half a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time.

7. Pat the dough into a round: 1/2-inch thick for normal biscuits, 3/4-inch thick for tall biscuits, or 1-inch thick for giant biscuits. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved flour and cut out the biscuits, starting at the outside edge and cutting close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although they will be tougher.

8. Using a metal spatula if necessary, transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan or baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 6 minutes. Rotate the pan from front to back and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard browning. Bake until the biscuits are light golden-brown, 4 to 8 minutes more.

9. Remove from the oven and lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with more butter. Flip the biscuits out upside-down on a plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.