Blt Braised Bacon Collards And Tomato Jam Recipes

BRAISED COLLARDS IN TOMATO-ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the cored tomatoes and cook until they are charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
• Let the skillet cool slightly by taking it off the heat or decreasing the heat, depending on how smoking-hot your skillet is. Have the heat at low and add the oil (the skillet will still hold a great deal of heat). Add the onion and garlic, and saute, stirring occasionally, until both are a deep golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let them cool slightly. Transfer to the food processor bowl containing the reserved charred tomato, and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chopped collards and cook until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

BRAISED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
• Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a cookie sheet. Combine the remaining ingredients, except the oil, in a small bowl. Rub the tomatoes with a little oil and top each tomato with a generous amount the bread crumb and herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes.

EXTRA-CRISPY BLT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil, including up the sides. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the lined sheet pan, overlapping pieces slightly, if necessary, to fit them all on the pan. Transfer to the oven and cook, without flipping, until deep golden brown and curling in spots, 15 to 25 minutes. (You can put the bacon in as the oven heats up; it will help the fat render.) Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. (You can fold and curl the pieces onto the plate; this will add more texture to the final sandwich.)
• Meanwhile, season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Cut four 1/4-inch-thick slabs of the iceberg lettuce crosswise. (Make a wedge salad with the rest.) Toast the bread in the toaster or directly on an empty rack in the oven, flipping halfway through.
• Spread one side of the toasted bread with mayonnaise and/or mustard. Add 2 slices of tomato to half the bread slices. Top with one slab of lettuce, then add the bacon. It will be tricky to lay the bacon flat, and that's good. Arrange them irregularly, so there are pockets of air between the slices.
• Top with the remaining slices of bread. Press down slightly, cut in half and eat right away.

BRAISED COLLARDS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add greens, cover, and cook until mostly wilted, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until completely wilted, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add tomatoes, breaking them apart as you go. Add ham hock and 3 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce to a medium simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and ham separates from bone, about 2 1/2 hours, adding more water if needed.
• Remove ham from pot and let rest until cool enough to handle. Discard skin and bone; dice meat. Return ham to pot; stir in beans. Season with salt and pepper. Serve collards with rice.

TOMATO AND BACON JAM

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble bacon when cool.
• Stir tomatoes, sweet onion, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Stir in crumbled bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the spread is very thick, about 1 hour. Adjust salt and black pepper.
• Cool and spoon into a 1-pint glass jar with a lid; keeps refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 2 months. If freezing, put spread into small jars and let jars thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.