Stir Fried Greens and Bacon over Grits

Sunday, July 01, 2007

The variety of foodstuffs available in China is glorious and bewildering at the same time. Two more familiar things I am glad are available here are bacon and butter. The bacon here is very dense and does not shrink much when cooked, a quality I have come to appreciate. This dish relies on the contrast between chewy pieces of bacon, juicy cooked greens, and soft grits. It takes a little planning ahead to make the grits but the combination has a very high return of satisfaction for a little cooking effort, and the colours are very appealing.

Slice about half a cup small pieces of bacon. Saute bacon til fat is mostly rendered and add 3 cups chopped Shanghai bok choi to the pan (can use any sturdy green like chard or cabbage). When greens are wilted but not limp remove from pan and drizzle with a tablespoon of vinegar (I used black). Serve over grits. Serves 2.

4 comments:

Anil Philip said...

Thinking if using one packet of mixed vegetables. Should we stir fry the vegetables in the bacon fat? (my heart says, ouch!)

Pepper said...

Yes, if you want you can use less or use part oil and part bacon fat. The salt in this recipe comes from the bacon fat so you might need to add some if you don't use as much. Sorry for the late reply!

Unknown said...

I wanted to thank you for this recipe. I purchased some applewood smoked bacon for another recipe and was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the package. I found the recipe through a search engine. Surprisingly, I already had a multicolor chard mix and cooked grits. It was so simple and delicious that I have made it several times since I first found it. Thanks again.

Pepper said...

You're most welcome.