BBQ chick and Collards

Since the Indoor Root Beer BBQ (see post) was such a hit with E as leftovers, we decided it would be a good choice for our newly instated Sunday family dinner. So with baby in the bumbo on top of the dining table eating a teething ring and E in the booster 20 minutes before anything was out of the oven, we have hopefully started a tradition.

Apparently you can't mess the stuff up either. In my haste to grocery shop during naps today, I forgot that I even needed to make the BBQ sauce. So, I substituted the juice of 2 limes for both the orange and lemon juices and skipped the zest altogether. It wasn't as sweet as the previous version, but tasted very similar otherwise.

For the chicken, it seems that once you brine the chicken, it's impossible to overcook or mess up. I subbed canola oil for the melted butter and it worked the same. I am very glad that I started making my notes on the blog though because I would not have remembered the cooking temp or the cooking time.

The side for this meal was collards with black-eyed peas. The BEP's were suggested because of the toddler's love of anything in the bean family and because we had a leftover pork rib and chop from Perry's on Friday night. I make this with any type of leftover pork and it's so good. You can also alter the ratio of bep's to collards if you like one or the other better.

Black-eyed Peas and Collards
1 can black-eyed peas
1 bunch Collards
1 smoked ham hock
1-3 sliced of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 chopped onion (optional)

Wash collard greens and remove tough spine. Cut into 1" strips.

Throw all the pork-type ingredients in a large pot to brown. Add onion and sweat for 5 minutes (if using). Add 4 cups water to pot and bring to a boil. If you have time, this makes a great pork stock so it can simmer for an hour or so. Add collards and cover. Braise for at least 1 1/2 hours until greens are tender.

Drain BEP's and add to pot. Warm for 5 min and serve as a soup or as a side.