Cody Casey
Bacon and greens is a classic combination in Southern cooking. The dish typically involves cooking greens in the leftover grease from bacon, along with other ingredients like onions, garlic, vinegar, and hot sauce. The greens are usually collard greens or mustard greens, and the dish is often served with cornbread or other Southern staples like mac and cheese or fried catfish. The process for cooking bacon and greens involves rendering the bacon fat, cooking the greens in the bacon grease, and then adding the bacon back into the dish at the end.
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What You'll Learn
Cooking bacon with greens
Preparation:
Before cooking, it is essential to prepare the greens by removing any dirt or grit. Wash the greens thoroughly in a sink or a large bowl of cold water, swishing them around to loosen and remove any dirt. You can also trim and remove the thick stems from the greens, and then chop the leaves into roughly equal-sized pieces. This ensures that they cook evenly. Additionally, you can prepare the greens up to three days in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
Cooking the Bacon:
For the bacon, you can use a skillet or a large pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until they are crispy and browned, usually around 5 to 8 minutes. If using thick-sliced bacon, it will render more fat, resulting in a more flavourful dish. Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the skillet or pot and drain the excess grease on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease in the skillet or pot, as this will add flavour to the dish.
Cooking the Greens:
In the same skillet or pot with the reserved bacon grease, add diced onions and cook until they become softened and slightly browned, which takes around 2 to 4 minutes. Then, add minced garlic, salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. Cook this mixture for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to release the flavours. At this point, you can also deglaze the pan by adding a small amount of liquid, such as water, or chicken broth, and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Next, add the chopped greens to the pot and cook until they begin to wilt, usually around 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth or water, along with any additional ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes or vinegar, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let the greens cook until they are tender, which typically takes around 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of greens used.
Serving:
When the greens are tender, you can stir in additional ingredients like hot sauce, vinegar, or sugar to taste. Finally, sprinkle the reserved bacon pieces on top of the greens as a garnish, and serve immediately. This dish pairs well with various sides, such as cornbread, mac and cheese, or fried catfish.
Storage and Reheating:
Cooked greens with bacon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for 2 to 3 months. To reheat, simply use a stovetop, microwave, or slow cooker until warmed through.
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Cleaning and preparing the greens
Collard greens are often dirty and can have grit hidden in the leaves, so it's important to clean them thoroughly before cooking. To do this, fill a clean sink or large bowl with cold water and completely submerge the leaves. Swish the leaves around in the water to loosen and remove any dirt. Then, remove the leaves from the water and discard the dirty water. Make sure to dry the leaves thoroughly by patting them with a clean towel until no moisture remains.
Next, you'll want to remove the tough stems from the collard greens. To do this, make a V-shaped incision at the base of each leaf to cut out the rib. You can then either cut each leaf with a sharp knife or tear them by hand into roughly 1-inch by 2-inch or 3-inch pieces. Don't worry about cutting them too small as they will break down quite a bit during cooking. You can clean and prep the greens up to three days in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
If you want to add other ingredients to your pot of greens and bacon, garlic cloves, onions, chicken broth, and seasonings like salt and pepper are all popular choices. You can also add vinegar or lemon juice to reduce the bitterness of the greens.
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Cooking the bacon
It is important not to overcook the bacon, as it should remain slightly raw-looking in the middle with only the edges browned. Thick-sliced bacon is preferable because it has more fat, which adds flavour to the dish. Once the bacon is cooked, it is removed from the skillet or pot and drained on a paper towel-lined plate.
The bacon grease is then reserved in the skillet or pot, ensuring there is enough to cook the greens effectively. This step can be enhanced by adding more oil to achieve the desired amount of grease. The grease from the bacon adds a wonderful flavour to the dish, and fresh garlic cloves are recommended for an even better taste than garlic powder.
After the bacon is cooked and the grease is reserved, the recipe continues with the addition of onions, garlic, and other ingredients to create a delicious dish of greens infused with the savoury flavours of bacon. The bacon is typically added back into the dish as a garnish before serving.
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Adding aromatics and spices
Aromatics and spices are essential to building flavour in a dish. They are the foundation of different ethnic cuisines and are used in various dishes, including soups, sauces, stews, and stir-fries.
The most commonly used aromatics are vegetables, spices, and herbs. Some, like onions and garlic, are used across most cuisines, while others, like lemongrass and galangal, are specific to certain regions. For example, the "holy trinity" of aromatics in Louisiana combines onions, celery, and bell peppers, while Italian cuisine favours a soffritto, which includes onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.
When adding aromatics and spices to your bacon and greens, you can follow these steps:
First, cook the bacon in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Use oil or bacon grease, and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain the excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate.
Next, add your aromatics to the bacon grease in the pan. Common aromatics used in bacon and greens include onions, garlic, and celery. Cook these until they are softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. You can also add spices like black pepper, red pepper flakes, or garlic powder at this stage to build flavour.
Once your aromatics and spices are cooked, you can add the greens to the pot. Mix them in with the aromatics and spices, and cook until they are wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
Finally, you can add your liquid, such as chicken broth or water, and any additional seasonings, like hot sauce or vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the greens are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
Feel free to experiment with different combinations of aromatics and spices to find your perfect flavour profile. You can also try adding herbs like oregano, basil, or thyme, or even spices like saffron or smoked paprika, for a more complex and aromatic dish.
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Cooking the greens
Cooking greens with bacon is a real Southern treat and a surprisingly easy side dish. The collard greens are often cooked for a long time until they are fully wilted and tender. The bacon adds wonderful flavour to the greens, and the longer you cook it, the more tender it becomes.
Preparation:
First, clean your greens well in cold water, removing any dirt or grit. Then, cut the woody stems out of each piece with a knife, and roughly chop the leaves. You can clean and prep the greens up to three days before you plan to use them.
Start by cooking the bacon in a skillet or pot over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat begins to render, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and let it drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease in the skillet, adding more oil if needed, so that you have about 2 tablespoons of oil.
Next, add the diced onion to the oil and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until softened. Then, add the garlic, salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings, and cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
Now, it's time to add the greens to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 30-60 minutes, or until the greens are tender and have wilted.
Finally, stir in the hot sauce, vinegar, and any other desired ingredients, such as sugar or sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with the reserved bacon and serve immediately. Enjoy your delicious and flavourful greens!
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, bacon can be cooked in the pot with greens. The bacon is usually cooked first, then removed from the pot, and the greens are cooked in the remaining bacon grease.
Collard greens, mustard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and turnip greens are all types of greens that can be cooked with bacon.
The total preparation and cooking time for greens with bacon is around 1 hour. The bacon should be cooked for around 5-8 minutes, and the greens should be cooked for around 45-60 minutes.
