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Utica Greens

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 26, 2011

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6

Utica Greens

Ingredients

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 ounces thick-cut capicola, cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)1 onion, chopped¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced2 ½ pounds escarole, chopped (see note)½ cup low-sodium chicken broth ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Before You Begin

You'll need two large heads of escarole. You can use either hot or sweet capicola. Whichever you choose, buy a 1/2-inch-thick slice (or use prosciutto) at the deli counter; avoid the prepackaged thin slices, since you'll want hearty cubes of meat for this dish. Do not use canned bread crumbs here.

Instructions

  1. BROWN CAPICOLA Pulse bread and 1 tablespoon oil in food processor until coarsely ground. Toast bread crumbs in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl; reserve. Wipe out pot with paper towels. Add remaining oil and capicola to now-empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until capicola begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until onion is softened and capicola is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add cherry peppers and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. COOK GREENS Stir in half of escarole, broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until greens are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining escarole, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Pecorino Romano and 1/3 cup reserved bread crumbs. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining bread crumbs. Serve.
Utica Greens

Utica Greens

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces thick-cut capicola, cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ pounds escarole, chopped (see note)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces thick-cut capicola, cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ pounds escarole, chopped (see note)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces thick-cut capicola, cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ pounds escarole, chopped (see note)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Both hot and sweet varieties of capicola (also called coppa) worked in our Utica Greens recipe. Browning the cured meat helped build a savory base for our greens. As the greens cooked, fresh bread crumbs absorbed excess moisture. To give our Utica Greens extra crunch, we added toasted bread crumbs to the finished dish. 

Before You Begin

You'll need two large heads of escarole. You can use either hot or sweet capicola. Whichever you choose, buy a 1/2-inch-thick slice (or use prosciutto) at the deli counter; avoid the prepackaged thin slices, since you'll want hearty cubes of meat for this dish. Do not use canned bread crumbs here.

Instructions

  1. BROWN CAPICOLA Pulse bread and 1 tablespoon oil in food processor until coarsely ground. Toast bread crumbs in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl; reserve. Wipe out pot with paper towels. Add remaining oil and capicola to now-empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until capicola begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until onion is softened and capicola is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add cherry peppers and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. COOK GREENS Stir in half of escarole, broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until greens are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining escarole, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Pecorino Romano and 1/3 cup reserved bread crumbs. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining bread crumbs. Serve.

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