Recipes

Simmered Greens and Bacon

Recipe No. 597 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Army TM10-412 · Pork · Side Dish · Vegetable

Serves 100 servings, approximately ½ cup each.

Recipe No. 597 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

  • Spinach or other greens — 40 pounds
  • Salt — as needed
  • Water, boiling — 4 gallons (16 No. 56 dippers)
  • Bacon — 4 pounds
  • Beef stock — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
  • Salt — as needed

Directions

  1. Cut roots from spinach or other greens. Wash leaves several times to remove all sand. Drain well.
  2. Add a small amount of boiling salted water to greens. Add strips of bacon. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until spinach or greens are tender. Drain well.
  3. Add beef stock and salt; heat to serving temperature.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Spinach or other greens — 3 lb 3¼ oz Salt — to taste Water, boiling — 1¼ qt Bacon — 5 oz Beef stock — 5 tbsp Salt — to taste

18 sliced hard-cooked eggs may be placed on top of greens to improve flavor and appearance.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 597, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.