DIRTY RICE STUFFED COLLARDS

Dirty Rice Stuffed Collards image

Provided by Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network

Time 1h45m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can plain tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound pork sausage, casing removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 bunch collard greens, about 12 leaves, stalks discarded

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sauce:
Saute the onion in oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, until softened. Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Filling:
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown. Once browned, add the garlic, onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chicken broth and cayenne. Stir in the cooked rice and parsley, mixing thoroughly and letting the broth reduce until there is no moisture left in the pan. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, over medium heat, add the collard leaves and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Lay a collard leaf out on a flat surface and add 1/4 cup of the dirty rice into the center. Fold both the sides into the center and the top and bottom over the center. Roll into a cylinder and repeat with the remaining leaves. If there are any remaining leaves you can chop them up and add to the sauce.
Pour a 1/2-inch layer of sauce into a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish. Arrange the collard rolls, seam sides down, on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed collards and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.