I never heard of Utica Greens before, but my sister spent a lot of time working in upstate New York and remarked on the excellent food she encountered in many places, especially in Buffalo, where two friends and former colleagues were from originally. This is one of the items she mentioned frequently (in addition to the Buffalo wings). My mom always made escarole, which is a bitter green that pairs nicely with cannellini beans. It’s the kind of green that people don’t see too often and it’s only available at certain times of the year. Naturally, on a trip to Wegman’s I was able to obtain it easily and made two great side dishes. Utica Greens are incredibly flavorful and delicious. This is an excellent pairing for a pasta dish or braised pork or chicken. They don’t take long at all to put together and truly offer the wow factor (if your family or friends are into this kind of thing) that you might be after for a weekday dinner! Some versions call for a topping of breadcrumbs, which you may like. But I generally prefer them without them. It’s your choice!
Ingredients
2 tbsps. olive oil
4 oz. spicy capicola, diced into small ½ inch pieces
1 onion chopped
¼ jarred sliced hot cherry peppers
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 large heads escarole, trimmed at the bottom and chopped
½ cup chicken broth
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
½ cup toasted bread crumbs (optional)
1. Add 2 tbsps. of olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the capicola and brown for 3-5 minutes. Stir in chopped onion and brown for 5 minutes. Add cherry peppers and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in half of escarole and cook until the greens wilt for a minute. Add the remainder and cover and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese before serving.
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