Recipe: Tabasco-Fueled Field Goal Greens

Tabasco-Fueled Field Goal Greens

Serves 4

Use your favorite type of greens for this recipe. True Southerners would use hearty collard, turnip, mustard, and/or beet greens. For a milder flavor, try spinach or Swiss chard, which also take less time to cook. Be sure to rinse the greens well to remove dirt and sand, and cook them with a little water still clinging to the leaves. Yankees who want to but a more European spin on this dish can substitute pancetta for bacon. (Time Saving Tip: Look in the produce section for bags of pre-washed, pre-torn collard and turnip greens.)

1 pound greens
1/3 pound sliced bacon,
preferably hickory smoked (about 6 slices)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other
hot pepper sauce, or amount to taste

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the slices to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and the garlic in the drippings until soft. Add enough greens to fill the pan and sprinkle with salt. As the greens cook down, add the rest of the greens to the pan. Partially cover and cook on medium heat until tender (about 15 minutes for collards, less than 5 minutes for spinach). Stir the greens occasionally as they cook. Season to taste with salt. Crumble the bacon and stir it into the greens. Stir in the lemon juice and Tabasco to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.