8ouncesSochan I used sochan, lamb's quarters, and galinsoga
2ozvenison bacondiced 1 inch
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
½ Tablespoon cooking oil (if your bacon is fatty you may not need this)
1 ozChopped wild onions, ramp bulbs, shallots or scallions
1 Tablespoon maple vinegar, or to taste Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute
Instructions
Trim the greens of any very hard stems, miscolored parts, bugs or insects. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, it should be salty enough to taste like the sea.
Have bowl filled with very cold water ready.
Add the greens to the pot and cook until just tender and thoroughly wilted, about 30 seconds to one minute. Remove the greens to the cold water, swish them around to quickly chill, and function as a second wash to remove any debris.
Drain the greens and squeeze most of the water out, but not all. From here the greens can be frozen, or refrigerated for up to 5-7 days, as the salted water extends the shelf life of the greens. Coarsely chop the greens to break up stems, I like to do this in a cross-hatch pattern.
To finish, add the bacon to a pan, preferably cast iron, and begin rendering on medium heat with the oil. When the bacon is crisp to your liking, and some fat has rendered out, add the greens, reduce the heat to low just to warm the greens through.
Stir the wild greens to mix with the bacon and fat, then double check the seasoning, adjust as needed, season with the maple vinegar and serve immediately.