Maple Bacon Kale

Mmmmmmmm……

Everything is better with bacon.

Especially rich, dark leafy greens.  Combining kale with the creaminess  of thick cut, home-cured smokey bacon is a match made in heaven, kissed with a tease of maple, you can’t go wrong.

Maple Bacon Kale

1 1/2 lb. Fresh Kale, washed, stems removed and chopped

1/2 lb.  Thick cut bacon

1/4 c.  Maple syrup, grade B, dark

Sea salt or Redmond Real Salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste

Roughly chop bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.  Sauté in cast iron skillet until nearly crisp and lard has been rendered out.

Remove bacon and grease from skillet, set aside.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of rendered bacon grease back into the same cast iron skillet you used to cook bacon.

Heat bacon grease to a sizzle over medium high heat, carefully add kale, if it is still damp it could splatter the hot grease.

Sauté kale, stirring constantly until just wilted, add bacon bits back in, and pour maple syrup over top.

Sauté 20-30 seconds more.  Remove from heat.

Top with salt of choice, and fresh ground pepper, indulge immediately.