Brief Summary
This video demonstrates how to cook mustard greens with bacon. It covers rinsing and cutting the greens, frying bacon, and simmering the greens with various seasonings. The key is to use bacon grease for flavor without making the bacon soggy.
- Rinse and cut mustard greens similarly to collard greens.
- Fry bacon and reserve the grease for cooking.
- Sauté onion and garlic in bacon grease, then add greens, bouillon, vinegar, and water.
- Simmer until tender and top with crispy bacon.
Preparing Mustard Greens
To begin, the mustard greens should be rinsed thoroughly in cold water to eliminate any grit and dirt. The preparation mirrors that of collard greens, involving the removal of the stems. Stack the leaves in an overlapping pile, then pinch and roll them tightly.
Frying Bacon
Cut about eight pieces of bacon into lardons and fry them until they are nice and crispy. Remove a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease, reserving the rest for later use. The reserved grease should be enough to coat the bottom of your cooking pot.
Cooking Greens
Add onion and garlic to the pot with the bacon grease. While some people leave the bacon in, it's suggested to add it later to prevent it from becoming soggy. Using the bacon grease still provides the bacon flavor. Add the mustard greens, noting that they will wilt down significantly. Include a couple of chicken bouillon cubes, a bit of red wine vinegar, a couple of cups of water, and some red pepper flakes (optional). Cover and simmer until the greens are tender.
Final Touches
Once the greens are cooked, add the crispy bacon on top just before serving.
