My Cooler Story

Shake and Bake Pork Chops and Collard Greens

main-courseporkcollard-greenscomfort-foodsouthernbakedone-panBen Harper and the Innocent Criminals

Put this on first

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals — Burn to Shine

Burn to Shine is the Ben Harper album for when you have been grinding all day and need something warm but not fluffy — soul and grit without the mush. The Innocent Criminals lock in; taking us from gospel to the blues in a seemless and meaningful way.

Crispy oven-baked pork chops and tender, slow-braised collard greens

Ingredients

Pork Chops (Shake and Bake Style)

  • 4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
  • 1 box of Shake 'N Bake "Original Pork" - Stubbs makes a version if you're too bougie for SnB but that's a you problem

Collard Greens

  • 2 large bunches of collard greens, cold washed and cut into 1/2 inch strips (remove stems if you want but I leave em on)
  • 4 slices bacon (diced)
  • 1 medium onion (halved)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 And put some tunes on -- Today we're listening to "Burn to Shine" by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. Take a beat to listen to the opening notes of "Alone" -- It's been a long day and you deserve 90 seconds to do nothing.
  2. Wash the greens: Now...Fill a large pot full of ice and cold water and repeatedly submerge the collards, shaking them around to free any loose dirt or brown leaves. If the water looks dirty, replace and rinse again until water is clear. Remove greens to a colander to drain and rinse the pot.
  3. Start the greens: In the same large pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy as Ben sings that beautiful opening falsetto verse of "The Woman in You". Remove bacon with a slotted spoon but leave the grease in the pot. Add onion cut side down and let that sucker char up a bit (should start to turn a little black on the bottom -- this is good). While that's happening, slice the greens horizontally (across stem) into 1/2 inch strips and return to colander, rinsing one more time in cold water if necessary. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  4. Braise the greens: Add the chicken stock and spices (not the vinegar and sugar) and bring to a boil. Add cut collards and stir well. Cover and reduce heat -- these will go for at least 45 minutes. This is a good time to go ahead and crack a cold beer if you haven't already. Take a big sip and sit back and reflect on the day, but not too much...you're just making a mental list of loops to close tomorrow.
  5. Coat the chops: The cymbal intro from "Two Hands of a Prayer" snap you back into reality. Pat pork chops dry. They should be moist but not too wet. One at a time, add chops to the coating (in a bag or container with lid) and shake until fully coated. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let sit 5–10 minutes so the coating sets.
  6. Bake the chops: Bake the pork chops on the rack 18–22 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145°F at the thickest part. Let rest 3–5 minutes.
  7. Finish the greens: Add vinegar, sugar, bacon, and butter and stir well. Remove from heat.
  8. Serve: Plate pork chops alongside collard greens with a little pot liquor (the broth from the greens) spooned over if you like. Hot sauce pairing is Tabasco or Texas Pete pepper sauce.

Tips

  • A wire rack keeps the bottom of the chops from getting soggy; if you don't have one, flip the chops halfway through baking.
  • For a quicker collard option, chop the leaves smaller and simmer 25–30 minutes — they'll be a bit firmer but still good.
  • Leftover collard greens reheat well; the pork chops are best reheated in the oven or air fryer to keep the coating crisp.
  • You can make your own coating instead of using Shake 'N Bake but I'm not sure why you would do that.