Sweet and Sour Southern Greens

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, allowing the bacon to cook until it reaches a golden brown color and becomes crispy. This process should take around 8 minutes, with the need for constant stirring to achieve this result.

Once cooked, carefully remove the bacon pieces from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a separate container, leaving behind the flavorful bacon drippings in the pot.

Next, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper within the bacon drippings, stirring until the sugar has fully incorporated into the mixture. Bring this combined liquid to a rolling boil.

Subsequently, add the collards to the boiling mixture and ensure they are well-coated with the liquid. Cover the Dutch oven, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and allow the greens to become tender. This cooking time can vary between 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the desired level of tenderness.

To prevent the greens from becoming too dry, periodically add a small amount of water or vinegar to the mixture as needed.

Finally, transfer the tender collards to a serving dish and sprinkle with the cooked bacon pieces.