Kenyan Braised Pork and Collard Greens with Rice
Our version of this East African classic recipe isn't technically a braise. We sped things up, which means the collards remain green with just the right amount of bitterness on the palate to compliment the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. The spice mix takes what may seem like a recipe from the American South back to Africa, with hints of fennel, ginger, and cinnamon.
Servings
Produce
Garlic (Organic)
4 2 Clove
Yellow Onion (Organic)
1/2 0.25 Whole
Sweet potato, garnet (Organic)
16 8 oz
Collards - Georgia Southern Creole
12 6 oz
Lora bella tomatoes
9 4.5 oz
Lemon
1 0.5 Whole
Protein & more
Brown Rice
1 0.5 cup
Bay leaf
1 0.5 Whole
Ground Pork
1 0.5 lb
Pantry items
Olive oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Sea salt
1 0.5 tablespoon
Spice mix
Cumin powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Coriander powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Black pepper
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Ground ginger
1 0.5 teaspoon
Fennel, ground
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Turmeric, ground
1 0.5 teaspoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Tear or slice collard leaves from stem; ¼” dice stem, chop leaves bite-sized. b. Peel sweet potatoes; ½” dice. c. ½” dice tomatoes. d. ¼” dice yellow onion. e. Cut lemon into wedges. f. Mince garlic.
Instructions
1
Cook brown rice:
a. In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 cups water (1 cup for 2-person portion) and ½ tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil.
b. Add brown rice with bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and add to compost.
2
Cook pork and vegetables:
a. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add ground pork, ½ tsp salt, and Kenyan spice mix; stir to break up pork and cook until mostly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove partially cooked ground pork with slotted spoon. Set aside.
b. In the remaining fat, add yellow onion (¼” dice) and garlic (mince); cook until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.
c. Add sweet potatoes (peel, ½” dice) and collard greens (tear or slice leaves from stem, ¼” dice stem, chop leaves bite-sized); stir to combine.
d. Add 1 cup water, (½ cup for 2-person portion), ground pork, and tomatoes (½” dice); stir to combine. Cook until sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
3
Serve:
a. Divide brown rice among shallow bowls or plates.
b. Top with Kenyan braised pork and vegetables. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon (cut wedges) if desired.
Pour some wine and enjoy.
Chef's notes
This recipe is classically a ground meat dish, but the spice mix could be nice as a rub on chicken thighs or drumsticks too. Vegetarians can replace the pork with a favorite legume. Good cultural and flavor matches include creamer peas, black eyed peas, or butter beans.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX