Restaurant Redo - Country Style Steak and Collard Greens

While on our road trip through the south a few weeks ago, we enjoyed our lunch at Aunt Bea's restaurant in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. Country style steak with gravy, collard greens, mac & cheese, and hush puppies. 

Much to our surprise, Jo and I both loved the collard greens, which we'd never tried before. That was a challenge to me to re-create them! I'll grab a round steak out of the freezer and try re-creating the steak & gravy, too. 

I rinsed the greens and took the big stems out. Then I rolled them up and cut them. 

I found some recipes online and based mine on those, with no real specific measurements. I'd picked up a couple small smoked ham hocks when I got the greens. Those add lots of flavor to the cooking broth, which was about a quart and a half of water. I added some chicken base (to make it a chicken broth). I simmered the ham hocks for about 30 minutes, then added the cut up greens. 

I added about a TBSP each of sugar & salt, some black pepper, about 15 garlic cloves, half a sliced Vidalia onion, a little cayenne pepper, and about a TBSP of Family Dollar soul food seasoning. Also, about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Covered and cooked for about 2 hours. 

For the gravy, I diced up some onion and portobello mushrooms. 

A little olive oil in the pan, along with a hunk of fat I cut off the round steak (I don't want to eat it, but it's great flavor for the gravy!). 

Seasoned the tenderized round steak with seasoned salt & black pepper, then into the pan to brown. 

After browning on both sides, it's out of the pan and into the 350-degree oven to finish cooking. 

Now, let's make some gravy! A couple TBSP butter into the pan. 

Add the diced onions & mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper. 

Stir and cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes. This is already good enough to eat!

Add a couple TBSP flour and mix. 

 Cook for a couple minutes. 

Then add a couple cups of water and a little beef base or beef bouillon. Stir until thickened. 

Collard greens are done!

Plated up country style steak with mushroom onion gravy and collard greens. 

Once again, Aunt Bea's...

And mine...

I think it was a little better than the original at Aunt Bea's. I will say I nailed the collard greens on the first try. They were fantastic! How'd I do, compared to the original meal, Jo?

It was very good. There was no mac and cheese, but I had plenty to eat. (And I already know his mac and cheese rocks!)