Oma Pantke's Gruen Bohnen-Eintopf (Granny Pantke's French B
Submitted by rnmtaloy1
Oma Pantke’s German green bean stew with stewing beef, mashed potatoes, and savory seasoning. A thick, hearty Eintopf passed down through generations.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minEintopf means “one pot” in German, and this family recipe from Granny Pantke is exactly that: a thick, rustic stew of slow-simmered beef, French-style green beans, and mashed potatoes all stirred together into something warm and filling that sticks to your ribs.
The stewing beef cooks low and slow for two hours in the bean liquid, which builds a rich broth while tenderizing the meat until it practically falls apart. Starting the meat in cold liquid (not boiling) draws out more flavor into the stock. That’s old-school German kitchen wisdom.
Mashed potatoes stirred directly into the stew act as a natural thickener, giving the Eintopf its characteristic body. The consistency should be thick, almost like a very chunky, meaty porridge. If it gets too thick, a splash of reserved potato water loosens it up without diluting the flavor.
Chef Tips
- Use the drained bean liquid as the cooking broth for the meat. It adds flavor and means nothing goes to waste
- Boil the potatoes separately so you can control their texture. Overcooked potatoes in the stew would turn gummy
- A splash of vinegar at the end brightens the whole dish and cuts through the richness. Start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste
- Savory (Bohnenkraut) is the traditional German herb for green beans. It’s worth finding if you can
Variations
- Use fresh green beans instead of canned and cook them in the beef broth during the last 20 minutes for a fresher flavor
- Add diced carrots and celery to the broth with the beef for a more vegetable-forward stew
- Leave some potato chunks unmashed for a chunkier texture with more bite
Ingredients
Directions
Drain beans and use the liquid to boil the meat for about 2 hours at low heat.
Add about 1 to 2 teaspoon of salt (to taste!). You get a better stock when you put the meat in the cold liquid, heat to boil and then continue cooking slowly.
Peel potatoes and boil until done. You needn’t add salt because the beef broth will be salty enough.
Reserve the water as well; you may need it to add to the stew when it turns out to thick.
Take the meat out of the broth after two hours and cut it apart.
You should add the lean parts to the stew.
Now add the drained beans. Mash the potatoes and add them as well.
When you are lazy you might use instant potato purée, but that’s not quite as good as the real thing.
Heat the stew while stirring well.
If you consider it too thick add a bit of the reserved potato water.
(BTW, the right consistency is rather thick!) Season to taste with savory, pepper and salt.
Optionally you can add a cube of beef stock, although that isn’t really necessary (my Mom does, my Granny doesn’t.). I like to season the bean stew with vinegar, but this is also a matter of taste.
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