You might not be surprised to hear that mustard green are one of the least popular vegetables that we offer at Papa Spud's! They sound scary, and when used raw do have a peppery more pungent bite that many people do not enjoy. However, they are actually a very versatile green, much more so than their popular cousin collards, and their peppery flavor is easily tempered if that is your preference.
Mustard greens are at their most pungent when they are raw of only lightly sautéed/wilted. This is a useful flavor that can a unique dimension to many dishes, but if you don't like it, you can just cook them longer. The second flavor profile is from a short-cook, sauté or boil greens for a few minutes and they will become quite tender and more mild. They will maintain some of their characteristic mustard flavor, but to a much more milder extent. Or, opt for a long-cook by braising greens. Color will diminish and a deeper, a more mild earthy flavor will come out. Long-cooked mustard greens can actually be a nice, more interesting substitute for cooked spinach which is often just soggy and bland.
In addition to heat, salt and fat are great additions to mustard greens to create a more mild flavor. Salt is often added by itself, or in a sauce such as soy sauce. Fat in the form of meat such as bacon, ham, prosciutto (also good sources of salt), as well as butter, olive oil, or sesame oil. Mustard greens are quite popular in Indian, Chinese, and African cuisines, which are great sources for recipes and inspiration.
In short, mustard greens are extremely healthy, inexpensive, available locally even in the winter, and worth giving a shot if you haven't experimented with them before!
Here are some great preparation ideas exploring the different flavor profiles and options with mustard greens:
http://www.cookthink.com/blog/2007/09/four-easy-ways-to-go-mustard-green/
Photo by:
http://www.cookthink.com/blog/2007/09/four-easy-ways-to-go-mustard-green/
