Listen, learning to make greens in my family is a right of passage so just know I think you are super special since I’m passing my Mississippi mama’s turnip greens recipe to ya. Just like her famous collard greens, the flavor is off the chain. She lets them simmer low and slow until they get tender in a flavorful pot likker loaded with smoked turkey and spices. Sure you can make turnip greens anyway you want but down in the South, this is straight up gospel. I’m here to hold your hand through the whole thing.
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Aight fam, so here is how to clean turnip greens like a BOSS. Turnip greens can carry a ton of dirt and grit, and nothing kills the vibe like biting into some crunchy dirt. I have literally watched my big mama and mama spend hours cleaning greens to ensure not even one speck of dirt enters the pot. It takes some time but that extra TLC makes all the difference.
First up, fill your sink with lukewarm water so we can loosen up any stubborn grit. Dunk the turnip greens into the water and let the leaves spread apart. Let them sit for a sec. Then start swishing them around and giving them a gentle scrub with your hands. This will help loosen the dirt from the leaves.
Once you think you’ve scrubbed them pretty well, lift the turnips out of the water, drain the dirty water, rinse the sink real quick, fill back up with fresh lukewarm water and repeat the process. We wanna keep going until these babies are spotless.
Pull the leaves from the stems after you’ve cleaned your greens.
Combine the leaves in small stacks then roll them like a cigar.
Cut the crosswise into 1 inch wide pieces.
Finally this should leave you with strips of leaves. Get rid of the stems boos.
Add water and chicken stock to a large pot then add turkey leg. You wanna cook over medium low heat for about 45 minutes until the liquid is a golden color.
Next add in your onion, bell pepper, turnip, half of your greens and your oil. Cover the lid and allow this first batch to get a nice cook down for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the seasoning salt, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and toss in those remaining greens. Stir everything together so all the greens mix up with the spices and flavorful goodness. Keep the heat on medium low.
Cook until completely tender! We ain’t frying greens, we are braising them so you gotta have enough liquid to do this and create the pot likker. At the end, the meat should have fallen off the bone and those greens should be silky and tender boos. Shred any remaining into the greens and serve them up boos!
These authentic Soul Food Turnip Greens are braised in a savory smoked turkey meat flavored and perfectly spiced pot liquor resulting in an incredible tender silky texture that's to die for.
