Smoked Turkey Braised Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch collard greens
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup smoked turkey stock
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 ounces smoked turkey, preferably dark meat, shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Pull the tough ribs away from the collards, then wash the leaves well. Stack the leaves, roll them up lengthwise into a tight cylinder, and cut them into 1-inch ribbons.
2. Set a deep pot over medium heat and warm the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and cook until it smells aromatic but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the collards by big handfuls, stirring each batch until it softens before adding more. Stir in the stock, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Bring the pot to a simmer, cover it, and lower the heat to low. Let the collards gently simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Take off the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir in the smoked turkey and butter, and keep stirring until the butter has melted completely and the turkey is warmed through. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, adjust with salt and pepper to taste, toss everything together well, and serve.