Stewed Green Beans with Bacon & Pot Liquor

This week, Greg and I are going all out on a holiday limb and sharing our favorite Thanksgiving recipes (with a Suitcase Foodist twist of course).  This is the dish I’ve been brining to Thanksgiving dinner for the past 7 years – no matter where we end up hanging out hats and stuffing ourselves silly, this is the dish I bring.

Pot liquor is a Southern institution – usually reserved for the collard greens that you eat for New Year’s Eve.  It is that wonderful salty, brothy, liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the pan.  It adapts nicely to green beans and is unexpected and rich in place of the gooey green bean casserole thing.  It should be served along with the green beans and sopped up with bread if there is any leftover.

Fresh Green Beans ready for a swim

However around our table, there are never any leftovers – and I frequently find family sneaking spoonfuls of the rich pot liquor before it even makes it to the table.  (And by family, I mean myself).

Stewed Green Beans with Bacon & Pot Liquor

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Fresh Green Beans, trimmed
• 1/2 lb Uncured, Smoked Bacon
• 1  Small Onion, quartered and sliced thin
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• 4 cups Chicken of Veggie Broth
• Salt, to taste
• OPTIONAL: Crispy Fried Shallots

Mmmmm… Extra Crispy Bacon. Drools a little…

Method:

Slice bacon into thin ribbons with a pair of kitchen shears.  Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the bacon and cook until extra crisp.  Remove from the pot, drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Part of the deliciousness? Cooking the onions and garlic in bacon fat.

Do not drain the bacon fat from the pot.  Add the sliced onions and sauté until soft. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and the fresh ground pepper.  Heat briefly to release the aromas.

Add the Green Beans and the Broth at the same time.  I always have frozen homemade broth in my freezer, so I just add it frozen directly to the pot.  Turn up the heat and bring the entire concoction to a simmer.

I always have frozen broth on hand. Just add it frozen to your pot.

Turn down the heat, add a lid and maintain a low simmer for at least 45 minutes.  The good news is that you can do all of this up to 3 days before and pop the entire thing (pot and all) into the fridge until you are ready to reheat and serve.

In the meantime, crumble the crispy bacon into small bits and set aside yet again.

After 45 minutes, remove the lid, take a deep breath.  It will smell like a greenery bacon-y heaven.  The green beans will be soft and saturated with flavor.  The broth (aka pot liquor) will be reduced and rich.

Toss the bacon into the pot, and you’re almost there. P.S. Just look at that amazing pot liquor!

At this point, add the bacon bits.  Give it a stir and cook for a couple of minutes more.  And, DONE!  Be sure to serve these guys with the pot liquor and those optional crispy shallots on top.

Lydia, not afraid to boil stuff