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Southern Green Beans

southern green beans on dinner plate
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My Southern Green Beans are slow cooked until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavored with rich, smokey bacon and garlic.  This traditional southern side dish can be found on just about every table in the south!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds of Green Beans
  • 8 slices smoked bacon
  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed and fine mince
  • 1 medium Vidalia Onion, sliced into 1/8-inch slices (can use yellow or white onion)
  • 32 ounces chicken stock
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

  1. Clean the beans by running them under cool water, then snap the ends off and cut into 2-inch pieces.
  2. Remove the skin from the onion and cut it into 1/8-inch slices.
  3. Crush the garlic and fine mince.
  4. Cut the bacon into 1/2 pieces.  Then fry the bacon until golden brown in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet (see note #1 below).  Once browned, remove the bacon and set aside, reserve the grease in the pan.
  5. Add the onion to the bacon grease and allow to lightly brown, about 2-3 minutes.  Add 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper to the onions.
  6. Add the garlic to the onion, stir to combine.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  7. Add a half-cup of the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. If you used a cast iron skillet, transfer the contents of the skillet to a Dutch oven or stock pot.  If you didn’t use a cast iron skillet, or once you transfer the bacon and onion mixture to the Dutch oven or stock pot, add the green beans, then cover with chicken stock and gentle stir to combine.
  8. Bring the beans to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Cook until tender, about 2 hours.
  9. Drain the beans, then add the bacon.  Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Notes

#1 – Because of their even heat, I am a big fan of cast iron skillets.  To the point, I often make additional work for myself.  As you can see in the pictures, I browned the bacon and cooked the onions in a cast iron skillet.  After adding the garlic, I deglazed the skillet with a small amount of chicken stock and then transferred the mixture to a large stockpot.  You don’t have to use a cast iron skillet.  You can do the recipe in one stockpot.

Find it online: https://foodienoise.com/southern-green-beans/