Southern Killed Lettuces

A crunchy, green salad that plays host to the original hot bacon dressing, these Southern Killed Lettuces are SO delicious. This is the sort of salad that really goes well on just about any table, and you can add to it as much as you like. Maybe some cornbread croutons, or some chopped green onions would be great. Some sliced hard boiled eggs would be a nice additional protein as well. You do you, y’all.

All that said, this salad is wonderful just as it is, or dressed to the nines. The greatness is in its simplicity and in the crunch. The combination of crunchy lettuces, cucumber and onion, and a rich and luscious hot bacon dressing make for some pretty good eats, and I’ll break it all down for you in today’s post. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in growing your Southern cooking repertoire, I’ve got you covered here on MKL. You might want to try my authentic Southern Mustard Greens, amazing Cornmeal Pound Cake, Chicken Fricassee, Sticky Chili Garlic Fried Chicken, Best Ever Angel Biscuits, or Tomato Upside Down Cornbread.

What is/are Southern Killed Lettuces?

I was first made privy to the name “Southern Killed Lettuces,” when I was flipping my way through Sean Brock’s second cookbook, South. I basically grew up eating iterations of this concept: simple lettuces drenched in a warm bacon dressing.

That’s where the “killed” comes in. You take these uber crunchy greens and then soften them up just a little bit as you pour this super tasty, fatty, smoky vinaigrette all over top. So, you’re “killing” them, so to speak. You’ll also see other classic Southern vegetable preparations that borrow from this same notion of killing things. Greens and green beans that are “cooked to death” come to mind immediately.

It is very Southern to cook vegetables down (way, way down) with some sort of pork fat. This is often seen in the form of ham hocks, fat back, and as is the case with today’s recipe – bacon.

What is hot bacon dressing?

To create this easy and (insanely) delicious hot bacon dressing, we’ll start by just cooking up some chopped bacon in a large skillet. It’s the drippings – the rendered fat – from the bacon that stand as the anchor of the dressing. You’ll often see oils as the fat/lipid component of vinaigrettes, right? But here, we’re using the fat from the cooked bacon and the dressing is SO great because of that.

The original hot bacon dressing really was little more than hot bacon drippings poured straight out of the pan onto whatever congress of vegetables lay in wait for the stuff. So, we’re sort of honoring that original here in our recipe today, but I’m just breathing a little extra flavor and dynamism into the finished dressing. How will we do that? Easy.

The Bacon Dressing Breakdown

1. Olive oil. This will smooth out the bacon flavor, creating balance.
2. Cayenne. A little heat makes this salad POP with flavor and also, creates balance.
3. Vinegar. In the same vein as the cayenne, this component of our hot bacon dressing also serves to balance things out. A bacon dressing desperately needs a kick of acid to really be all that it can be. And apple cider vinegar is my favorite. That said, you could use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, malt vinegar, or even just good ole white distilled. Whatever you have or like is great.
4. Molasses. I always have a jar of this stuff around, as I find it to be a wonderful flavor weapon in so many recipes (it’s my secret ingredient in every cookie dough I ever make, for example.). It adds depth of flavor and a little complexity to the dressing, which may be totally going against some cardinal rules, sure. But I like it and well, that’s that.
5. Sugar. Just a pinch. Again, for balance.

How long does Hot Bacon Dressing keep?

This dressing will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for several months. Bacon fat, on its own, will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months (which is awesome). The fact that this is just bacon fat, seasonings, and some vinegar means that the dressing will hold really well for you, for quite a while.

How to reheat Hot Bacon Dressing

To use hot bacon dressing that has been refrigerated for a while, you just need to get it (at least) back up to room temperature. As you know, bacon fat solidifies as it cools, so really all we need to do is just get it loose and liquified again. You can do this in one of three ways:

1. Spoon the dressing into a pan and warm it over low heat on the stovetop.
2. Warm the jar in the microwave (if microwave safe, of course).
3. Put the jar in a big bowl of super hot water and let it gradually come up to temperature.

What You’ll Need to make this Southern Killed Lettuce Salad

A combination of things that are very intentionally put together, this salad is simple as can be. It’s just so delicious when all is said and done. When it comes to the actual lettuces you use, you can go with whatever you like. I personally think this is THE BEST ICEBERG LETTUCE recipe, as that stuff is just majorly crunchy and was born to be a bed for this luscious, warm bacon dressing.

That said, I also really like to throw in some lovely spring mix as well (for pretty). Or chopped up romaine, as it also has great crunch. Got some frisee? Go for it. Some amazing bitter chicories? That would rule. Just arrange a platter of your preferred greens, and call it good.

INGREDIENTS

6 slices bacon, finely chopped 

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

3 tsp molasses

½ tsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, but awesome)

Salt and pepper to taste

5 to 6 heaping cups lettuces (I use a mix of Iceberg and Spring Mix or Romaine)

1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)

¾ cup sliced cucumber (optional)

How to make it

This is utterly simple to make, and it comes together quickly. Tear some lettuce, chop some cukes and onion, fry some bacon, and you’re basically done. I add a few simply flavor agents to the dressing to really make this special, but they’re probably things you’ve already got on hand.

DIRECTIONS

Arrange the (washed and dried) greens on a big platter (you can, of course, do this on individual plates). Scatter the sliced onion and cucumber slices all around.

Put the chopped bacon in a large skillet set over medium to med-high heat. Cook until done, brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the drippings in the pan. 

With the heat on low, add the vinegar, molasses, sugar, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Whisk to mix and taste for seasoning. I like to pour the dressing in a jar and dress the salad right as I serve it, but you can dress it right away (they are “killed lettuces,” after all). Enjoy!

If you like the looks of this Southern Killed Lettuce salad, you might also enjoy:

Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Autumn Harvest Crunch Salad

Pizza Night Salad

Strawberry Crunch Salad

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