Bacon-Lovers Spicy Southern Greens & Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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I’m making a batch of these Bacon-Lovers Spicy Southern Greens tonight, and wanted to share the recipe with all of you. These greens are fantastic paired with Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, which is by far one the easiest dishes to make. You can find the recipe for that below as well.

In a few days I’ll share two more dishes that complete this meal - fried plantains and homemade coleslaw.

Enjoy!

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Bacon-Lovers Spicy Southern Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 bunches collard greens
1 yellow onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 pieces of bacon, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Chiffonade collard greens by placing the leaves on top of one another so that the base of the leaves are aligned. Tightly roll the leaves longways and hold them in place. Start to slice in 3/4 inch strips starting at the top, working your way down to the stems, creating long, thin pieces. Set collards aside.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook bacon until crispy. When it’s done, remove it from the pan, leaving the bacon fat behind.

3. Sauté onions in the bacon fat on medium-high heat until they’re semi-translucent, with a pinch of salt.

4. Push onions to the side of the pan, and throw the minced garlic into the center until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

5. Mix onions and garlic together, and add the collars, mixing well until the leaves are slightly softened.

6. Once the leaves are a bit softened, crumble in the bacon, and add the chicken broth and red pepper flakes. (1 pinch of red pepper flakes may not seem like a lot, but given that this dish cooks for so long, the pepper flakes intensify in spiciness. Start with a little, and if you want more spice, you can always add some extra at the end.)

7. Mix all ingredients together, scraping up any browning on the bottom of the pan, and simmer covered for 45 minutes to an hour, until collard leaves have dulled in color and softened significantly.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus more red pepper flakes if you want it spicier.

Notes:

These greens taste even better the next day. Make some extra and store them in the fridge for tasty leftovers.

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This recipe is tastes best when you leave enough time to marinate it overnight. Start this recipe the day before you plan to cook it for the richest flavor.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons dried mustard
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Combine spices and mix well.

2. Remove any string holding your pork together, and with your hands, rub the spice mixture all over the pork shoulder, making sure to get the spices into every crevice of the meat.

3. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap or place it into a sealed plastic bag, and refrigerate it overnight.

4. In the morning, using a cast iron pan or an Instant Pot on the sauté setting, sear all sides of the pork until slightly browned.

5. Place the pork into an electric slow cooker, or turn your Instant Pot to the slow cook setting. Cook on low for 8 hours. There will be enough fat released from your pork shoulder, so you don’t need to add any additional liquid.

6. The pork is finished when two forks can pull it apart easily.

7. Shred the pork, and serve with barbecue sauce.

Notes:

Buying ethically raised meat is important. If you live in the United States, eatwild.com is a great resource for finding local, ethically raised meat. If you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, purchasing meat from US Wellness Meats is another good option.

You can also make this recipe in a dutch oven. Please consult the web for accurate cooking instructions.

This pulled pork can be served on its own as a main course, or used in tacos, eggs, or salads.

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If you make either of these recipes, please let me know what you think in the comments below!

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