Recipe Green Beans With Ham

1. Savory Moments: Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Beans, And Potatoes
1. Weight Watchers Green Beans, Ham And Potatoes
   1. Pressure Cooker Southern Style Green Beans With Smoked Ham Hocks

My low and slow method for cooking Old Fashioned Southern Style Green Beans with its beautiful, smoky ham hock broth for flavoring, will take you straight to the country no matter where you live!

I shouldn’t write this post. I know I shouldn’t. Before I write even one word, I know I’m going to be blasted. The green bean patrol is going to be all over me.

To like my fresh green beans just blanched. All bright green and crispy and crunchy. But I just don’t. I don’t. They taste like grass to me.

Savory Moments: Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Beans, And Potatoes

I like my green beans the way I grew up eating them — country style. That means nice and tender and richly flavored with smoky pork. So there.

But I’m doing it anyway! Besides, you’ve never had MY southern style green beans before. Who knows, I may just convert you over to the country side. :-)

Southern, or country style green beans are slow cooked, fresh string or green beans simmered in a smoky broth made from a ham hock or bacon.

Weight Watchers Green Beans, Ham And Potatoes

It’s worth making them just for the aroma alone. The smell of that smoky pork filling your kitchen and tickling your senses as it spreads through the house will have your family clamoring to get to the dinner table.

After the sweet torture of waiting for them to finish cooking, your fresh green beans will have transformed into a melt-in-your-mouth side dish.

You now have the perfect companion to any southern recipe like my Real Simple Fried Chicken, Salisbury Steaks with Chunky Mashed Potatoes, Country Fried Steak, or Pot Roast with Rosemary and Garlic.

Easy Ham And Green Beans In Crock Pot

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The most important thing about making this recipe is to have really good ham hocks. You want nice meaty ones. Some of the ones I see in the store these days are all skin and bones. Leave those in the case and look for big, plump ones.

Put your lovely, smoky ham hocks in a large, deep pot with just enough water to cover. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Pressure Cooker Southern Style Green Beans With Smoked Ham Hocks

What you’re making is a smoky, pork flavored broth. That’s what you’ll use to cook your veggies in and all that lovely flavor will go right into them. Delicious!

While the ham hocks simmer, prepare the green beans. I remove the “tips and tails” and just cut them into pieces. You can leave them whole if you prefer. If you have string beans, be sure to remove the strings as well.

Cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the green beans are tender but not mushy. Start checking them after about 50 minutes.

Southern Style Green Beans

When they’re nice and tender and olive-colored (no, they will not stay bright green), remove the ham hock to a plate and allow them to cool for a few minutes until you can handle them easily.

Remove and shred the meat from the ham hocks, discarding the skin, fat, and bones. Add the shredded meat back to the pot and stir it into the beans.

This is the simplest method that I know for making old fashioned country style green beans. People do add all sorts of other things like onions, tomatoes, hot pepper, parsley, and I do too occasionally, but I also appreciate just the simply beautiful smoky flavor of this method. Hope you’ll give it a try!

Roasted Potato And Ham Casserole Recipe With Green Beans

Southern style green beans reheat really well since you don’t have to worry about keeping a crisp texture. You can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container or resealable bag for 3 to 5 days. Reheat them on medium-low heat on the stovetop or even in a slow cooker (low heat for about an hour).

Yes, you can use canned or frozen as a substitute. If you just can’t source fresh green beans, I’d suggest frozen over canned. The canned ones won’t pick up as much of that yummy smoky pork flavor because they’ve already been partially cooked.

Yes! You can snap (or cut) them the day before you need them. Just make sure to keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to cook.

Authentic Southern Green Beans

Brown all but two slices of bacon in the same pot you plan to use for cooking your green beans. When the bacon is crisp, remove it and set it aside. To the fat in the pan, add the green beans, salt, and the remaining two slices of uncooked bacon with enough water to cover. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. To serve, drain the beans and serve topped with the crumbled cooked bacon.

Serving 1 | Calories 261 kcal | Carbohydrates 16 g | Protein 20 g | Fat 14 g | Saturated Fat 5 g | Cholesterol 63 mg | Sodium 934 mg | Potassium 692 mg | Fiber 6 g | Sugar 7 g | Vitamin A 1565 IU | Vitamin C 28 mg | Calcium 96 mg | Iron 3 mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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Lana Stuart is the cook, writer, and founder of Lana’s Cooking. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!