Meet Killed Lettuce: The 3-Ingredient Salad You'll Actually Crave
Everything's better with bacon.
Terri Peters/Allrecipes
If you view salads as rabbit food—just raw veggies tossed in a bowl with dressing as the only good thing about the mix—we have good news for you. A recipe trending on social media takes salad to the next level, it's full of flavor, has a warming element to slightly wilt tough greens, and it's so good you might actually start to crave it.
It’s an Appalachian staple that’s made its way to social media feeds everywhere: Killed lettuce videos have garnered more than two million views on TikTok and a recipe for the dish has been in the Allrecipes archives since 2011.
What Is Killed Lettuce?
Allrecipes member shann submitted their family’s killed lettuce and onion recipe more than a decade ago, saying “Growing up in the North Carolina mountains, everyone knew what killed lettuce was and how to fix it. This is my mom's recipe, and it is very simple and basic. In the South, it is usually served with pinto beans and cornbread.”
TikToker @lakynsappalaichainlife explained how to make the dish in a video, saying all that’s required is fresh lettuce, green onions, and bacon (or heated bacon grease). “Pour all that bacon grease right on top of that and it’s literally just gonna wilt all that right up,” she said. “This probably is the most Appalachian dish that I’ve had on this channel, but I’m telling you it is the best.”
How To Make Killed Lettuce
This recipe couldn't be simpler! All it takes is three ingredients: Bacon, green onions, and lettuce.
Cook the bacon in a skillet, then remove the strips to let drain on paper towels. Add chopped green onion to the hot bacon grease to cook it slightly, releasing the aromatic flavor, then pour them and the bacon grease all over a bowl of lettuce and toss. That's it!
Why Is It Called Killed Lettuce?
"Killed Lettuce" might not sound like the most appetizing recipe name you've ever heard—where does it come from anyway? Well when you add the hot bacon grease to the lettuce it wilts it slightly (aka killing the lettuce).
But don't worry, the lettuce isn't actually dead or even soggy—the fat coats the leaves in flavor and just slightly softens them making the salad easier to chew and digest. Not to mention all that bacon grease infuses every single bite for a salad that's truly packed with flavor.
I Tried Killed Lettuce
Intrigued, I decided to try this unusual recipe in my own kitchen. After gathering the simple ingredients list—bacon, green onions, and lettuce—I went to work.
What was most surprising was the sizzle created by pouring hot bacon grease over top freshly chopped lettuce. It was clear that adding the bacon grease to the lettuce did, indeed, wilt (or kill) the leaves, making them soft and removing most of the crunchiness. I added a bit of salt and pepper after combining the ingredients, as the only flavor I was getting at first was oily bacon grease. Adding a bit of seasoning, however, was all the dish needed to be taken to the next level flavor-wise.
This salad reminds me of a steakhouse wedge salad, so I took the recipe a step further and added some blue cheese crumbles from my fridge. Paired with a ribeye steak, it was an amazing dinner.
Am I a killed lettuce convert? I think so. With a bit of salt, the dish became surprisingly delicious, akin to a sautéed spinach dish, but wilted right in the salad bowl with the help of bacon grease and my trusty salad tongs. Once I tossed the ingredients together, I had a unique salad that was very flavorful and really took our steak dinner to the next level.
I’d also pair it with cornbread and pinto beans like shann suggested, or even serve it up as a side at a potluck. The bacon grease and the addition of salt made a delicious vinaigrette-style dressing that I kept going back for more bites of.
Read the original article on All Recipes.
