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Rodney Scott’s BBQ Collard Greens Recipe

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If there were a Mt. Rushmore for SCBBQ, Rodney Scott’s ever-smiling visage would be permanently etched into the mountainside.

Having gotten his start at the age of 11 cooking his first pig for his father Rosie at Scott’s BBQ in Hemingway, their converted gas station/convenience store, Rodney is now among SCBBQ royalty.

In fact, Scott’s BBQ in Hemingway was the very first SCBBQ restaurant we visited and reviewed way back in the summer of 2012. For us, it set the standard that few ever matched. 

Find it and Rodney’s Charleston location on the SCBBQ Trail.

Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston
Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston

Scott opened his first restaurant, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, in downtown Charleston. While the Hemingway location continues to be exceptional, it has never been what one might consider a complete restaurant.

While you can eat at Scott’s, most folks don’t. There are a few picnic tables outside and one kitchen table inside.

As limited as the table options is the menu. On our visit, we had a BBQ plate with slaw and beans. Not sure if things have changed, but if I remember correctly, those were the only side options at the time.

Black shirt reading Hash & Rice.

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In fact, these limitations and more made us question whether Rodney Scott’s new venture would be successful. History has, of course, proven Scott has quite a success on his hands.

Rodney Scott pulling pork from whole hog
Photo courtesy of Rodney Scott’s BBQ.

One of the reasons, beyond fantastic whole hog, pulled pork BBQ, is the fact that his expanded menu equals his signature menu item. Rodney Scott’s baked beans may well be the best I have tried anywhere. (I have asked, and no, they won’t share the recipe!)

Rodney Scott's Collard Greens, Hush Puppies, Rodney's Sauce, and Hog Rub
Rodney Scott’s collard greens recipe with hush puppies, Rodney’s Sauce, and Hog Rub.

The collards are Rodney Scott’s are delicious as well. They have hints of smoke and strings of meat and a hint of that sauce that makes Scott’s BBQ even more special.

In the “Old School, New School” episode of Man, Food, Fire, Rodney shares his recipe for those collard greens with host Roger Mooking.

Whole hog bbq plate with collards, slaw, sauce and bread on tray.
Photo courtesy of Rodney Scott’s BBQ. Angie Mosier, photographer.

We have republished it here for you. And if you’re making these collards, you’ll need to make Rodney Scott’s BBQ sauce recipe.

As long as you’re mixing together some sauce, you might as well make some of Rodney Scott’s BBQ Rib Rub to go with that sauce. At that point, you will have all the ingredients ready to make Rodney Scott’s BBQ Ribs Recipe and Rodney Scott’s Smoked Turkey recipe.

In the meantime, be sure to remember to cook a batch of Rodney Scott’s BBQ Collard Greens Recipe.

Rodney Scott's Collard Greens

Rodney Scott’s BBQ Collard Greens Recipe

Yield: 15 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Collard greens are a common side in South Carolina barbecue joints. Rodney Scott's BBQ serves among the best I've tried. Enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lard
  • 8 ounces yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds collard greens, washed well and stemmed, leaves cut into 1- to 2-inch squares
  • 10 ounces smoked pulled pork, or cooked ham cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Rodney's BBQ sauce, or your favorite vinegar-based barbecue sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat the lard in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. 
  2. Add the onions and garlic; saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add the collard greens, pulled pork, and 4 cups water. 
  4. Cover and simmer until the greens are completely tender, about 45 minutes.
  5. Stir in the salt, cider vinegar, and BBQ sauce.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 822mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 6g

Want More Authentic SC BBQ Recipes?

Check out our SC BBQ Cookbook. Complete with over 150 pages of recipes from generations-old family cookbooks and today's top pitmasters.

If you’re interested in a different and still delicious style, check out Melvin’s Legendary collard greens recipe.


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Rodney Scott’s Cookbook, World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day

Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day will be published in hardcover and digital format and will be released on March 16, 2021. You can pre-order this right now

Rodney Scott's BBQ Cookbook World of BBQ
Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ. Photo courtesy of Rodney Scott’s BBQ. Jerrelle Guy, photographer.

In Rodney Scott’s cookbook, he shares what makes his award-winning whole hog so special. In addition, he shares insights about his pit-smoked turkey, barbecued spare ribs, smoked chicken wings, hush puppies, and Ella’s Banana Puddin’. 

More importantly, whether you’re a barbecue pro or a novice, Scott’s recipes will enable you to create these special flavors yourself.

In addition, details about building your own pit coupled with deeply felt essays on South Carolina’s culinary traditions make this more than a simple collection of recipes. 

“It is also a powerful work of storytelling. In this modern American success story, Rodney details how he made his way from the small town where he worked for his father in the tobacco fields and in the smokehouse, to the sacrifices he made to grow his family’s business and the tough decisions he made to venture out on his own in Charleston.”

Rodney Scott’s cookbook is an inspirational story that reveals how “hope, hard work, and a whole lot of optimism” enabled Scott to become one of SC’s most beloved pitmasters.

Check out our Q&A with Rodney Scott published in early March 2021, just prior to the release of Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ Every Day is a Good Day.


Check out these other authentic SCBBQ sides recipes we’ve published on destination-bbq:

Melvin’s Legendary Collard Greens Recipe

Swig & Swine’s Pork Rinds with Tabasco Honey and Blue Cheese recipe

Lone Star BBQ’s Tomato Pie Recipe

And we’ve published the following sides recipes in the SCBBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog cookbook  (read more about that here):

Sides

  • Rodney Scott’s Banana Puddin’ Family Recipe
  • Melvin’s Legendary Collard Greens Recipe
  • Fried Corn, Shuler’s BBQ-Style
  • Swig and Swine’s Pork Rinds with Tabasco, Honey, & Blue Cheese Recipe
  • Swig & Swine’s Pimento Cheese Recipe
  • Swig & Swine’s Quick And Easy Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
  • Swig and Swine’s Beans with Brisket Recipe
  • Home Team BBQ’s Mac and Cheese Recipe
  • Home Team BBQ’s Collards Recipe
  • Jimmy Hagood’s Cast-Iron Skillet Corn Bread With Cane Syrup Recipe
  • Jimmy Hagood’s Lowcountry Brunswick Stew Recipe
  • John Lewis’s Hatch Green Chile Corn Pudding Recipe
  • Lewis Barbecue-Style Cole Slaw Recipe
  • John Lewis’s Buttermilk Potato Salad Recipe
  • John Lewis’s Hatch Chile-Cheese Biscuits Recipe
  • Price’s Bar-B-Que’s Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
  • Price’s Bar-B-Que’s Broccoli Cornbread Muffins Recipe
  • Joe Dabney’s Palmetto-Style Hush Puppies
  • Bessinger’s Copycat Onion Ring Recipe

Tony Jones

Monday 12th of July 2021

Bloody hell there's a lot of words in this recipe. Couldn't you shorten the recipe, and write a separate article about the chef?

James Roller

Tuesday 13th of July 2021

Hey Tony, That's a fair question. This article contains 877 words. Our focus on this site has always been to focus on the history and background of these local recipes. But for those who are just looking for the recipe itself, we also include a "Jump to Recipe" button at the top of each recipe post that will skip you right over all those words and get you to the content you want. Hopefully, the best of both worlds for everyone. Cheers.

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