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Sunday Dinner
Pimento Cheese and Cornbread Crostini
Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket
Smothered Lettuce
Corn on the Cob
Sliced Tomatoes with Chives
Potato Bread
Road trips here, road trips there, and another one coming up leave little room for a proper Sunday dinner, hence the absence of my menu posts. Fortunately, we are home this Sunday to enjoy a meal full of glorious summer flavors.
This meal is all about the beef, so I like to keep the sides nice and light (not to mention easy, given the labor of tending the smoker that demands attention). Smothered or “wilted” lettuce is a perfect accompaniment to the main dish. It is crisp, light, and refreshing with a pleasant sweet and sour vinaigrette made from bacon drippings. (Let’s face it, everything is better with bacon.) A hot mid-July Sunday filled with hickory smoke and the best of Summer’s bounty–that’s a special slice of heaven in my world.
Sunday Dinner one year ago
Sunday Dinner two years ago
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Smothered Lettuce
Ingredients
- 8 slices Hickory-smoked bacon, cut into 1½-inch wide strips
- 2 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 ½ pound head of iceberg lettuce, cored and coarsely chopped
- 6 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced including some green tops
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a large heavy skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour all the drippings from the skillet and measure out ¼ cup. (If the drippings do not measure out to ¼ cup, round out with a neutral oil.) Return the drippings to the skillet and add the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Quickly mound the lettuce, scallions, and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the hot dressing evenly over the greens, add the reserved bacon, and toss well. Serve at once. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love your blog! I grew up on pimento cheese, but your recipe sounds even better than the recipe I use. Could you also, please, give us your recipe for the cornbread crostini?
just stumbled across your blog and i LOVE it! thank you so much for all the amazing recipes.