My grandson says you have to be country as brown eggs to know what a streak-o-lean is. The question now is how country are you? Streak-o-lean is salt pork.

I have a couple cousins coming over for brunch.  The plan is to talk, share, eat and laugh out loud.  Brunch today is streak-o-lean, red eye gravy, yellow grits, over easy eggs, buttermilk cat head biscuits,fried green tomatoes, coffee and mimosas.Yummy, yummy, yummy to my tummy!  You are going to parboil the salt pork for approximately 5 to 7 minutes in a combination of buttermilk and water to remove some of the salt. In a cast iron skillet add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add the salt pork, fry until the salt pork is brown and crisp on both sides. Remove from the skillet set aside on a paper towel to drain.   The recipes for buttermilk cat head biscuits and fried green tomatoes can be found in the cookbook “Jacque Rose’s Southern County Cooking”.  Below find the recipe for red eye gravy.

You are going to parboil the salt pork for approximately 5 to 7 minutes in a combination of buttermilk and water to remove some of the salt. Pat the salt pork dry with a paper towel.  In a cast iron skillet add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add the salt pork, fry until the salt pork is brown and crisp on both sides. Remove the salt pork from the skillet set aside on a paper towel to drain.   The recipes for buttermilk cat head biscuits and fried green tomatoes can be found in the cookbook “Jacque Rose’s Southern County Cooking”.  Below find the recipe for red eye gravy.

Red Eye Gravy

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet you fried the salt pork in, add 2 tablespoons of butter and render.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.  Stir until the sugar caramelizes, this will take about a minute.  Add 1/2 cup of brewed coffee, 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1 teaspoon of espresso grounds. Stir briskly for about 2 minutes. Pour the hot gravy over the grits and serve immediately.