Wilted Lettuce Salad

My grandmother, an Arkansas woman that lived in North Carolina for over 80 years, used to make this salad for us, and I always loved it. She used white vinegar, red onions, and what I believe was bibb or a butter lettuce. But, the dressing is spot on, and that is the important part. To offset the bacon grease, I try to serve it over spinach to get a few more nutrients in if it is just the two of us. If doing that, I mix the spinach in the frying pan, as it does not wilt as easily as lettuce. Depending upon the greens that I am using, as some tend to be bitter if out of season, I might add a drop or two of honey, or up to two tablespoons of sugar. A squirt of deli or brown mustard is also good in it when I do the spinach version. I like mixing things up, and have adapted the previous changes on whims, depending upon the greens. Company always enjoys it, and it is a favorite in this house. We have it at least once a month, sometimes two or three times, as it is so good. I just have two minor complaints. It does not make for good leftovers, since the greens have wilted. I have also tried making the dressing, and just reheating part of it the next night, to avoid having to do the bacon again, as it splatters grease when you add the vinegar. But, it is never as good as when it is fresh. I just like easy things during the week that require little or no planning, and cleaning up bacon grease and the lingering odor of bacon is not my first choice for smells in the house. But, we eat salads six days a week, and this is our go to treat for our splurge, company's coming, etc recipe. Thanks for making it available to us online, as you definitely brought back the flavors of my childhood, and memories of my grandmother. My parents don't believe how similar this recipe is to the one that they remember, so it is their standard request when they come to dinner.

Great simple recipe. Made a small change as didnt have cider vinegar (used white wine and boysenberry vinegars believe it or not), but the overall taste and texture was excellent. We'll be using this one again.

thank you for this recipe. My mom passed in 1991 and made this for us when we were children and I did not know for sure how she did it. I would remember the bacon, lettuce and hot drippings but it never tasted like mom's did not. God bless you and thank you so much for the recipe and memories.

This is right on the money!!! My German Grandmother made this on the farm and did it the same way. She and use endive, as it adds a little bite and is always plentiful in the garden. Delicious!

My husband and I grew up on this fare. I had forgotten how good it was until I tried this recpe. Thanks from another Tarheel.