Dinner: Bourbon- and Cider-Braised Jowl Bacon Steaks

Ingredients

2 pounds jowl bacon, unsliced
100 milliliters bourbon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
3 to 4 cups apple cider

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bacon, bourbon, peppercorns and bay leaves in a Dutch oven, then add enough apple cider to mostly cover the bacon. Braise the bacon for 4 hours, then remove from the oven; let the bacon cool in its liquid in the Dutch oven for 1 1/2 hours, then remove and place in a re-sealable plastic bag, discarding the liquid. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 6 hours but up to 5 days.
Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the turnip greens and briefly toss; add the apple cider vinegar and toss until softened and bright green, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Clean the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Slice the bacon into 1-inch thick slices, then sear on each side, about 1 minute per side, flipping carefully. Serve with the turnip greens.

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