Country Green Beans with Ham and Potatoes

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 2 meaty smoked ham hocks or ham bone
• 2 pounds fresh green beans
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon or base (like Better than Bouillon)
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup country ham, tasso, or baked ham, pulled or chopped, optional
• 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, chopped into chunks (about 3-4 medium)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon of butter or bacon fat, to finish, optional

Details

Adapted from deepsouthdish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

Fill pot with water and add ham bone or hocks. Bring to a boil, reduce to a medium boil and cook for 30 minutes. Reserve water, skimming off any accumulated foam.

Rinse, trim and snap green beans in half or thirds. Add to pot, along with chicken base, pepper and onion, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low simmer, and cook, uncovered for 1 hour.

Remove hocks and set aside, once cool enough to handle, pull any meat off and add to pot. Add potatoes and continue cooking until tender, about 25 minutes. Taste, add Cajun seasoning and taste again, adjusting for salt and pepper. Finish by stirring in the butter or bacon fat, if desired, and transfer with some of the pot likker to a serving bowl.

Cook's Notes: I start with water and add chicken base to the beans, however you may certainly use all chicken broth. Remember, these beans are slow stewed, not boiled. They need to remain on a very bare simmer the entire cooking time - do not let them boil. Use fresh, raw green beans only, not frozen or canned. May substitute peeled Russets or your favorite potato, such as Yukon Gold. Tasso is highly seasoned and country ham is highly salty. Do not add any additional seasonings until you taste the beans first when using those. Freeze any leftover pot likker that doesn't get eaten to use in other recipes, like beans, soups and stews.

For the Slow Cooker: Prepare as above allowing ham bone or pork hocks to cook in water for 4 to 5 hours on high. Remove and pull meat, returning to slow cooker along with remaining ingredients and enough water or chicken broth to cover, plus an inch. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours, or to desired tenderness. Taste and add Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper as needed; stir in butter.