I bought two bunches of mustard greens at the grocery store last week and have been looking forward to preparing and eating them ever since! Greens are definitely a huge part of a Southerner's heritage. Turnip greens, collards, mustard greens, and (even kale) are part of our heritage. Everyone seems to have their favorite. My mother preferred turnip greens, while my dad and his mother usually wanted collards. Mustard greens are my personal choice because of their peppery flavor. The secret to cooking a good "pot of greens" is to parboil them first for 15 - 20 minutes, drain the water, and begin the cooking process again. A smoked ham hock is what many people use for their seasoning, but I had some thick cut smoked bacon and cubed ham in the fridge, so I decided to use a combination.
2 bunches of mustard greens
4 cups water (divided)
4 slices thick cut smoked bacon
1/2 cup cubed ham
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 t. salt (or less depending on the saltiness of the bacon)
a few grinds of black pepper
Remove the stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into pieces and place in a colander. Rinse repeatedly and then place into a 3 quart Dutch oven or saucepot.
Cover with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let cook for 15 - 20 minutes and then drain in a colander. Place back into the pot.
While the greens are parboiling, cook the bacon, ham, and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook until the onions are soft, the bacon has cooked, and the ham has browned a little.
Add the bacon, ham, and onions to the greens.
Add the remaining 2 cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. Let the greens cook for 30 - 45 minutes. Taste and add the salt if needed. Stir in the black pepper and you're ready to eat!
I always have some hot pepper sauce on hand to add to mine.
For tonight's supper, I sauteed some smoked pork chops in a little butter until they were browned, made some mashed potatoes and cornbread muffins. This was a great meal!
No comments:
Post a Comment