Trinidadian Callaloo

Ingredients:

• 225 g of diced lean boneless pork
• 900g coarsely chopped fresh amaranth leaves (a Mexican edible grain crop and its leaves), kale, or spinach (stems removed, washed)
• 225 g fresh okra, sliced ​​into rounds
• 225 g fresh crab meat, peeled from shell and cartilage, cut into pieces
• 110 g of salted lard, cut into strips
• 2 large chopped onions
• 1/2 seeded Scotch bonnet pepper
• Fresh sprigs of thyme
• 2.5 liters of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Boiled white rice for serving (optional)
• Caribbean hot sauce for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook the salted lard, stirring, until most of the fat has rendered. Discard all the fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add the pork and onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is soft, 4-6 minutes.
2. Add Scotch Bonnet peppercorns, thyme, chicken broth, and callaloo and cook, stirring occasionally to submerge the greens, until softened. Once the greens are soft and no longer floating to the surface, add the okra and continue to simmer until the greens are very tender and the okra begins to fall apart, 2 to 2.5 hours.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the crab meat and green onions, and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve the soup in bowls with hot white rice (optional). Serve with hot sauce (such as creamy), so that guests can season the soup to taste.