2021 was the year I learned to steam turnip greens. I always marveled at people who could make edible greens, so I tried it out. And you know what, they were spectacular. Smokey, full of minerals and flavor, these greens were eaten, with gusto, by 3/4 family members. Even the picky toddler was scarfing it down with glee and had a second helping.
Part of Our New Years Meal Series!
- Always Perfect Seared Pork Tenderloin
- Black Eyed Peas
- Beans & Barley Salad
- Cornbread Casserole
Why Do I Like This Recipe:
Greens can be mushy, bitter, and they can taste like canned spinach if you cook them wrong. This recipe allows the turnip greens to spend time with two tasty types of meat, absorbing their smoky, meaty flavor. There are also very few ingredients, making this dish easy to remember and it also scales up nicely to feed 4 people or 12.
Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients For Smoky Steamed Greens
- Greens: Pick your favorite. My family prefers turnip greens by far since they end up far less bitter than Collard. I haven’t tried mustard greens, but it sounds “mustardy.” It’s on my to-do list.
- Ham: One pound of this glorious, smoked meat adds the bulk of the smokey flavor to the dish. Dice it small to reveal as many sides to the broth as possible. I use Frick’s Ham when available since it is head and shoulders above other ham.
- Bacon: Again, choose something hickory smoked and thick-cut. I recommend pre-cooking this to crispy to release the most umami flavor while also adding texture to the dish.
- Tobasco Sauce: I prefer Chipolte Tobasco sauce, and I am obsessed with it right now. Again, adds smoke with a bit of heat, and it’s perfect.
- Celery Salt, Sea Salt, Black Pepper: Season to your preference.
Equipment for New Years Greens
- Big Pot or Dutch Oven: Greens start out really, really big and fluffy and end up cooking way down, so a big stockpot is necessary to fit the starting material. I use my 6-quart dutch oven for anything under 3 bunches of greens.
- Wooden Spoon: Use to stir, rotate the greens while they cook, serve food, and smack your kids! (just kidding… usually) All fully stocked kitchens should have at least one wooden spoon.
- Kitchen Knife: Work-horse of the kitchen, a nice kitchen nice will make quick work of the bunches of greens.
- Cutting Board: Since it’s not raw meat, I use whatever cutting board is first available in the cabinet. Something to put between my knife and the countertop.
Preparation
Preparing the Steamed Greens
- Chop the ham into bite-size bits. Add that to the pot along with 2 cups water, Tobasco sauce, and celery salt. Cover and simmer for about an hour.
- While that simmers, fry up the bacon to crispy but not burnt. Allow to cool and cut into 1″ pieces and set these aside.
- Prepare & rinse your greens. If you don’t do it very thoroughly, you will have sandy greens and that’s always a bummer. I’ll write a full post on it later, but for now, do as follows:
- Break the leaves off the stalk and chop off the thick part of the stem.
- Cut the leaves into 2″ strips, and then cut them into 1/3s longwise.
- Toss everything in your pot and fill it with cold water. Stir everything a bit to release the dirt, then dump the water.
- Repeat once and you should have sand-free greens for dinner!
- After your ham has simmered, toss your prepared leaves on top and close the lid. Simmer for 1.5 hours and stir every 20-30 minutes.
- For the last 15 minutes, stir in the bacon bits for added flavor. Salt to taste.
- Enjoy!
Save the leftover broth or “Pot Liquor” from the greens to make a delicious Potlikker meal for your family.
New Years Greens Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Stock Pot
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- 1 lb Ham Smoked preferred, diced
- 2 Tbsp Tabasco Sauce Chipolte preferred
- 1 tsp Celery Salt
- 2 Bay Leaves Whole
- 2 bunches Turnip Greens Cleaned, thick stems removed
- ½ lb Bacon
Instructions
- Dice the ham and add it to the pot along with water (4c) Tobasco Sauce (2T), celery salt (1t), and bay leaves (2). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for one hour.
- Remove the thick part of the stem, cut into thirds longwise, and then into 2" strips. See article for properly rinsing greens to remove sands.
- Toss the greens into the pot with the ham, and cover. Cook for 1.5 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
- Fry bacon to crispy and drain the grease. Trim it into 1-2" bits.
- 30 minutes before the greens are done cooking, add the bacon and stir to combine. Cover for the last 30 minutes or until cooked to your doneness.
Notes
- Any greens should work instead of turnip greens.
- Chipolte Tabasco was used in my first preparation, and it is quite tasty. Adds a smokey layer to the tabasco flavor.
- Bay leaves really help the ham release its flavor as it simmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I serve with greens?
Since greens have a distinctly southern feel, I would serve these greens with cornbread and baked beans or black-eyed peas. My beans and barley salad is also a great companion dish since the bright flavors give a nice contrast to the savory notes in the greens.
Are Turnip Greens Good for You?
Turnip greens are very high in fiber, iron, and vitamin A, C, & K; along with a whole host of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Vitamin C boosts absorption of naturally available iron, making it great for those suffering from anemia. That’s why I have tried to incorporate these vegetables into our weekly rotations of food moving forward.
How Do You Get the Bitterness Out of Turnip Greens?
Salt or Acid helps cut the natural bitterness of the greens. This recipe has a fair amount of salt in it from the ham and bacon, but if the greens are still bitter, add a Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and mix well. Taste it to see if that helped. Turnip greens also turned out much less bitter than collard greens, which is why they are preferred in our house.
What are Turnip Greens?
Turnip Greens are the stems and leaves growing out of the tops of turnips.
Can I Cook Turnip Greens in a Slow Cooker?
Since this method uses a big pot or dutch oven, a slow cooker or crockpot should work great. The even heat from the ceramic pot of the slow cooker should work wonderfully to cook everything evenly.
What is the Difference Between Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, and Mustard Greens?
While they are all leafy vegetables, they all come from different sources. Collard Greens are actually a type of cabbage, while mustard and turnip greens are the leaves from their respective plants.
How Do I Save Leftover Greens?
You can store your leftover greens for up to 7 days in a sealed leftover container. Just reheat them in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between and you should be good to go.
Can I Freeze Leftover Greens?
I don’t recommend freezing leafy vegetables. The ice forming in the leaf material obliterates the structure of the plant, resulting is a mushy mess when reheated. If anyone finds a good way to freeze them, I’m all ears.
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