Image by Paula Deen via YouTube
This turnip and mustard greens recipe by Paula Deen on YouTube is a great recipe to serve up for the New Year to bring good fortune. You might find people down in the south that eat black eye peas and turnip greens for New Year as a tradition. There are various reasons why these simple side dishes symbolize good wealth and health. For example, some of my friends would tell me how greens represent money and peas represent coins. It’s interesting how some people live by these superstitious ideas, but it may work. Also, you can make this for any dinner meal whether it’s New Years’ or not.
First, place the hog jowl in a Dutch oven or fry it until it’s done. Then, remove the stems from the turnip and mustard greens. Add the greens into the same pot as the cooked hog jowl and stir until it’s completely covered with the fat juices. Add water and seasonings to the pot. Continue to watch Paula Deen’s tutorial on YouTube for full instructions and details.
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Next, after 15 minutes of cooking, add the turnip stems, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the turnip roots are soft.
Overall, I love turnip greens, but I’ve never made it myself at home. I was born in the south but my parents never made this growing up. I love the bitterness from the greens, and the pork balances out the nice flavor of the vegetables.