Name: Tennessee Pork with Greens
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: SouthernUS & Canada
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, chopped fine; 2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces; Salt and pepper; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 pounds Swiss chard, curly-leaf spinach, or beet greens, stemmed and chopped; 4 teaspoons cider vinegar; 1/3 cup bourbon; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Why This Recipe Works

We opted for pork tenderloin medallions for our Tennessee Pork with Greens, which cooked much faster than ham hocks. A few slices of bacon added smoky flavor to the otherwise bland tenderloin.

When it came to the greens, we found that Swiss chard, curly-leaf spinach, and beet greens were much more tender than collards and cooked faster, so we preferred to work with those varieties.

Instructions

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off fat, reserving 3 tablespoons.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook pork in 2 tablespoons bacon fat over medium-high heat until well browned all over and meat registers 145 degrees, about 10 minutes. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

Add remaining fat and garlic to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in half of greens and cook, covered, until greens are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to plate.

Add bourbon, brown sugar, and accumulated pork juices to now-empty skillet and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, mustard, and remaining vinegar. Pour sauce over pork. Serve with greens.