Boiled String Beans with Ham
Submitted by donut
Southern-style green beans simmered low and slow with a smoky ham bone until fork-tender. Just 5 ingredients and the kind of home cooking that feeds the soul.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsListen, if you grew up in the South, you already know: green beans aren’t done until they’ve had a long, proper visit with a ham bone. None of that crisp-tender business here. We’re talking beans that have soaked up all that smoky, porky goodness until they practically fall apart on the fork.
A ham bone simmers for 45 minutes first, building a rich broth. Then fresh string beans go in with salt, pepper, and just a pinch of sugar to round out the edges. Another 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how young and tender the beans are, and you’ve got a pot of pure Southern comfort.
This is Sunday dinner food. The kind of dish that sits on the stove all afternoon, filling the house with that unmistakable smell of ham and green beans.
Pro Tips
- The ham bone makes this dish. Ask your butcher for one or save the bone from your next holiday ham and freeze it.
- Don’t have a ham bone? Pig tails work just as well and are easy to find at most butcher shops.
- A pinch of sugar isn’t sweetness; it balances the salt from the ham and brings out the natural flavor of the beans.
- Pull the strings from older beans by snapping the stem and gently tugging along the length. Young tender beans usually don’t need it.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the ham bone in a 6-quart pot with enough water to fill halfway. Heat to boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Simmer 45 minutes.
Prepare the beans while the bone is simmering. Snap the stem end from each bean and pull gently along the length of the bean to remove the string. (It may not be necessary to remove the string from very young beans.) Rinse the beans in a colander under cold running water. Drain and add to the pot along with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer the beans until very tender, up to 30 minutes for old tough beans or around 15 minutes for very tender young beans. Check the seasoning halfway through the cooking and adjust if necessary. Remove the bone and drain the beans. Serve hot.
Comments
