Green beans are a great side item for several main course dishes. This recipe, however, takes green beans to a whole new level. Countryfied green beans step out of the shadows, no longer an afterthought. They shout loud and proud, "Hey, look at me".
I love fresh vegetables, especially green beans. They are so distinctively country and I have many fond memories attached to them. Back in the day, my family grew them by the bucketful. I was often called upon to help snap them for cooking and canning. Family helping family, neighbors helping neighbors.
Chewing the fat
It was probably one of the first chores I learned how to do and one I never minded. There is something relaxing about sitting on the porch with your family and friends snapping beans and having conversations. So, I was very excited when my sister-in-law brought me a bushel of fresh green beans from their family garden and I knew just how I wanted to cook them.
Let's have some countryfied green beans
If you love green beans, you'll love this recipe. In my opinion, this is the most delicious way to enjoy green beans. Delicious isn't always healthy though. I tried to keep the sodium level down, if you are sensitive to sodium for health reasons, you may want to make additional adjustments. As much as I love country cooking, it is not always the healthiest way to cook. On the other hand, healthy cooking doesn't taste nearly as good.
Ingredients
2 lbs fresh green beans
Pepper - season to taste
4 strips of bacon
2 cups of chicken stock - low sodium
*If you want, you can add salt to taste. I don't believe you will need to with the bacon and stock.
Here we go
First, you'll need to snap the beans. Toss the ends and snap the beans. Sometimes I snap them into halves or thirds. For this recipe, I opted for longer sections of beans. Rinse them thoroughly in a colander. Then spread them out on a towel and pat them dry.
I used a large skillet with a lid. Fry the four strips of bacon until crisp. Bacon makes everything better.
Before you add the beans to the skillet, take note of the grease. Some bacon brands produce more grease than others. You will need enough to coat the beans. So, you may need to remove or add some grease depending. Use your judgment here. Add the beans to the skillet and toss them to fully coat them. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with some pepper then slowly add in the chicken stock. Bring them to a simmer.
Doesn't that smell delightful?
Cover the skillet leaving an opening. Allow to simmer on low heat (stirring occasionally) for an hour.
While the beans do their thing, it will allow time to put together a main course. I decided this would go best with a couple of filet mignons with mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and Texas Toast.
Ah, country cooking at its finest.
Oh my, words can't express how delicious this was. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy and thanks for reading.