Mustard Greens

[Cooksie]

I used to go to Luby's to get my "greens fix", but they stopped having them. Then I switched to Cotton Patch, but they too stopped having them. So, I decided to make my own.

2 bunches of mustard greens
3/4 of a medium white onion, chopped
1 T bacon fat
1 ham hock
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 Knorr's chicken bouillon cubes (the large ones)


In a dutch oven, cook the onions in the bacon fat until translucent and just beginning to brown on the edges. Add the ham hock and enough water to just cover the top of the hock. Simmer for about an hour.


Meanwhile, clean the mustard greens. I took the entire stem from the middle of the greens because some of them were pretty big. Fill the sink with about 5" of water and add the de-stemmed greens. Swish the greens around in the water so that the grit falls to the bottom of the sink. Drain and repeat this process two more times . You've got to get all the grit out. Rough chop the greens.


Add the vinegar, sugar, and bouillon cubes to the water/ham hock. Add the greens and simmer for about another hour and 1/2 to 2 hours. I just threw the ham hock away because there was not enough meat on it to mess with. If you get a meaty hock, pull the meat off and add it to the greens.


I add plenty of vinegar-based pepper sauce to mine at the table. I love them. Add a chicken-fried pork chop and some purple hull peas and you've get a real southern style meal.

 

[Keltin]

Talk about timing. We were just discussing greens the other day. We like Turnip greens primarily, and sometimes collard greens. I don’t think we have ever had Mustard greens. How do they compare to Turnip greens? Are they more bitter, sweet, etc?

 

[chowhound]

Nice write-up and pics, Cooksie.

 

[Cooksie]

When I buy them in the can, I go for turnip greens. I wanted to buy turnip greens, but my choices at Wal-Mart for fresh were beet greens, collard greens, and mustard. I chose mustard only because they looked the best. These tasted a lot like turnip greens to me, but I'm not a greens connoisseur.

 

[lilbopeep]

yummy!!

 

[QSis]

The whole meal looks wonderful, Cooksie!

I even like the flavor of mustard greens when they are raw - they have a peppery taste to them then.

Lee

 

[phreak]

Talk about timing. We were just discussing greens the other day. We like Turnip greens primarily, and sometimes collard greens. I don’t think we have ever had Mustard greens. How do they compare to Turnip greens? Are they more bitter, sweet, etc?

I've only made collards, so I was wondering what the difference between turnip and collards??? and Mustard???

 

[Cooksie]

Thanks all!

Keltin made me curious, so I had to go look all this up. According to wiki, "Turnip leaves are sometimes eaten as "turnip greens" ("turnip tops" in the UK), and they resemble mustard greens in flavor."

Mustard greens come from the mustard plant, the same plant that produces mustard seeds. Collard greens come from the same species as cabbage and kale.

I don't think that I've ever eaten collard greens.

 

[lilbopeep]

Thanks all!

Keltin made me curious, so I had to go look all this up. According to wiki, "Turnip leaves are sometimes eaten as "turnip greens" ("turnip tops" in the UK), and they resemble mustard greens in flavor."

Mustard greens come from the mustard plant, the same plant that produces mustard seeds. Collard greens come from the same species as cabbage and kale.

I don't think that I've ever eaten collard greens.

i love ALL of those and i love the bitter flavor. out of all of them i think the turnip is the mildest.