Rachel, my grandmother, had a REALLY nice way of making green beans.
Of course, she grew, and then canned, her own green beans (she favored a velvety skinned Italian variety) as well as the sauerkraut (kind of mild, in truth), AND kept the tiny red new potatoes handy in the root cellar. Back in the day, she smoked her own bacon, too, but I was only witness to the wonderful smells remaining in the old smoke house. There is NO WAY I am going to be able t0 recreate HER beans.
BUT.
THIS is close.
INGREDIENTS:
•2 tsp bacon fat
•1 cup onion, diced
•Seasoned salt
•Pepper
•2 cups chicken stock
•1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
•1/4 cup cider vinegar
Melt the bacon fat in a large pan, then add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tender.
Add the stock, green beans, and salt and pepper to taste, then bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the cider vinegar and heat to warm though.
NICE. BEANS.
Lacking my grandmother’s beans, and sauerkraut, and potatoes, this version STILL comes close – and, even if you don’t like green beans, you WILL like these.
If you don’t, you’re just wrong.