Straight Up Soul Food

[cooker4u22]

Was wondering what some of your favorite soul foods are?? I loove mac and cheese and cornbread... plus some mean Ribs! anyone got any ideas?

[Chris Amirault]

I'd be loathe to say we make a lot of soul food here, but a lot of the food we make is definitely based in soul food. I am particularly partial to collards or kale braised a long time with a smoked hock or some bacon ends, onions, a few smashed garlic cloves, and several dried red peppers.

[maggiethecat]

All of the above, and a big plate of red beans and rice. Side of cornbread.

[Pierogi]

One word.........*smothered* baby.

Oh yeah. Smothered chicken (fried, of course) or smothered pork chops (ditto), drizzled with Tabasco sauce, greens, cornbread and mac & cheese on the side. Maybe dressing.

Oh. Yeah.

[PopsicleToze]

Mustard greens are straight-up soul food no matter if you use bacon, ham hocks or whatever as the seasoning meat. Ever since I read Patti LaBelle's recipe for Screamin' Mean Greens, I've started seasoning mustard greens with smoked turkey wings or necks. It's easy to find them around here, and they are surprisingly good in the greens and a little healthier than smoked pork. Here is a copy of the recipe I found on the web: http://www.recipezaar.com/266985

One thing, however, take the time to make a stock from the smoked turkey wings before you begin the recipe and it will be mo' better.

(Don't Laugh!) I've even tried making red beans and rice with smoked turkey necks. There's this little soul food meat shop near where I work and I always try to start a conversation with other people at the counter finding out what they're going to be cooking with what they purchase. This one lady told me that she uses a couple of smoked turkey necks, a couple of pounds maybe, (nice and meaty -- dark from smoking -- and cut into about 2-3" pieces) to make red beans and rice because her daughter won't eat pork. She assured me they were good, so I bought some, too, and tried it. It was delicious. After the beans cooked, I just took the meat off the bones and added the meat back to the pot. No one who ate those beans questioned me about what type of meat was in the beans, and they were very good.

Another lady at that same market was buying pig tails. Now, I had never tried those, but she said that she uses them in her black-eyed peas. Done. I bought some (had them sawed into pieces, also) and tried them. They were great. I served brought those to Sunday dinner one day (also cooked fried chicken, mustard greens and cornbread) and everyone loved everything. After dinner I told Mom about the lady in the meat store, and she said, "You had better not ever serve me any of that." Not wanting to lie, I said, "What would make you say such a thing?

I love that little store.

Rhonda

[Kris]

Nothing says soul food to me than a plate of fried chicken, potato salad and collard greens.

[Margo]

Collards, collards, collards. With smoked turkey wings: when I lived in Vermont, the smoked pork hocks at the grocery store were expensive and virtually meatless.

Now that I'm in the land of smoked pork products... Yum. I've found some amazing smoked pork shanks.

I love beans. I've used smoked pig tails and neck bones in the absence of good hocks. Both were just fine.

And cornbread. Yellow and a little on the sweet side. I'm a Yankee, I can't help it.