[bright music] Collards and cornbread are a classic match, but in Eastern North Carolina, members of the Lumbee Tribe are known for turning that duo into delicious collard sandwiches.

My friends Glen and Dorsey Hunt are going to share some of their secrets to this signature treat that folks are willing to line up for just to get a bite.

Well, hey y'all.

- Hi, how are you?

- Good morning, my friends.

- Hey darling, how're you?

- I'm so happy to be here.

You know, I've eaten a few collard sandwiches, but I've never been on the other side of the table.

I am so excited to see how y'all go about this, because I hear there's nobody's better than the way y'all make 'em.

- You come to the right place.

- All right, well I'm hoping to be a helping hand today and not in your way, but whatever you tell me, I'm gonna listen.

- Well, you're wearing the right equipment.

- I know, can you believe this was in my closet already?

I was predestined for this day.

I've had this shirt for two or three years, but never a better occasion than right now.

- Right now.

- That's right, that's right.

We'll help ya get a little grease on it.

- Okie dokie, friends, let's get at it.

- [laughs] That's what I'm talking about.

- So, to do an event like this, how many pounds or bunches of collars, what do y'all have to do to get ready for a day like this?

- [Dorsey] Well, today we have 75 gallons.

- [Sheri] That's a bunch.

And so in your cooking them here, can you tell me, are they seasoned?

- [Dorsey] We put our meat grease in the pot, then we put the collards in there halfway frozen.

- So that's where your liquid's coming from?

- Yes, because collards make their own water.

- Collards make their own water.

How do you know when they're done enough?

Is that from tasting?

Can you tell by looking?

How do you know when they're sandwich ready?

- I taste them.

- Got any salt or anything?

- [Dorsey] We put salt in it.

We put a little bit of sugar in it.

- [Sheri] For balance, and so you're just cooking 'em down until they're thawed, until they're tender enough to suit you.

- [Dorsey] That's right.

- What do you think about people that put vinegar in their collards?

- A lot of people like to put vinegar on 'em, but we make something called chow chow.

- Oh, I love, okay, I just love how these look.

They're so bright green.

- Sheri, would you like to taste them?

- I am honored.

I am honored.

Let me get me a little bit here.

- Oh my goodness.

- [Glen] Taste test.

- Mm, that sugar is the key, man.

They've still got good chew to 'em.

They're not cooked to death, got that balanced sweetness, plenty seasoned.

I believe y'all have done this before.

- We have.

- [Glen] A little bit.

- Several times before.

- So good, so good.

The texture's what so good.

Oh, mercy, okay, onward and upward.

I can't wait to see what comes next.

- All right, next comes cornbread.

- Cornbread.

[bright music] So we can't have collards without cornbread.

And so you're gonna fry these all day long, and does it take two per sandwich?

- Two per sandwich.

- Okay.

- [Dorsey] So we put two pieces of corn bread.

- [Sheri] Two pieces of cornbread.

- [Glen] We're going to get some greens for that.

How about that?

- Now I noticed with these, when you take 'em outta the cooking pot, you leave any liquid behind, so that these are are drier, right?

- That's right.

- Okay.

- These are drier, we're gonna put them on 'em and spread 'em out a little bit, yes ma'am.

- Okay, and then this is all that goes in the middle?

- Yes ma'am.

- All right.

So close it up, scooch it to the middle a little bit.

All right, so this is fatback, white bacon.

- That's fat back.

- And you fried this till it was crisp.

- Right.

- And how many pieces?

One, two- - Two.

- Two, two pieces, all right.

[playful music] - [Dorsey] You did a good job.

- [Glen] She's done a done job.

[everyone laughs] - Lemme see if I can get all this up in here and get a bite.

You've got that crisp, tender cornbread.

You've got that super crunch, porky taste from this.

But then you've got those tender, perfect, but not soupy, collards.

- [Glen] That's right.

- [Sheri] That is a genius way to eat collards and cornbread.

- [Dorsey] Yes, it is.

- What y'all have done is you've taken the perfect collard experience and made it so you can walk around with it.

This is collard perfection on the hoof.

- [Glen] That's right.

- Well, I have learned so much.

This is so delicious, and I cannot thank you enough.

- I'm glad you enjoyed it.

We're glad to have you down to eat one.

- I'll be back.

- I'd like to see all my friends come down to eat collards.

- Well, now you're stuck with me, 'cause I'm come back every time.

[Glen speaking indistinctly] [laughing] Thank y'all.

- I believe it.

I love it.

- You're very welcome.

- All right, thank you.

- You're welcome.

- I know you got people lining up.

I gotta get outta your way.

- Yeah, they're lining up.

- All righty, thank you.

[upbeat music]