Who remembers eating green beans and potatoes in "the good ol' days"? I have fond memories of my grandmother making this for the family and how no one could make green beans that tasted as good as hers. Let me share with you how easy it is to make this classic, down-home dish that pairs well with many foods like fried chicken or pot roast.
The key to making great green beans and potatoes is to use FRESH green beans, not canned or frozen. Stop by a local farmers market and pick up some garden grown green beans. You can also sometimes find fresh beans in the produce aisle of grocery stores like Aldi from time to time.
After washing your beans, the next step to prep them for cooking is to "snap" them. Snapping green beans just involves breaking off the stems and discarding them and breaking all the beans into 2-3 pieces. This is a time consuming process so I like to sit down with my pile of green beans and two bowls, one for the refuse and one for the snapped beans. You can use a paring knife to cut them, but if they are fresh, you can easily break them with your fingers.
Break the stems off each bean. Some people like to cut the other end off as well, but this is optional. Depending on the length of each bean, snap it in half or three pieces so that each piece is bite size, no more than two inches long more or less. Set your finished beans to the side and discard the ends.
You should also prep your potatoes. Get some washed up red skinned potatoes, also known as "new" potatoes and select enough for your quantity of beans. I'd say 1-2 medium potatoes per quart of beans would be good; the goal is to more or less get a bite of potato with each forkful of beans. Do NOT skin the potatoes, just cut out any eyes or bad places. Cut the potatoes into 1" chunks or quarters depending on their size and set this aside.
Now to prepare the pot. Cut up some nice pork fat or bacon, enough to cover most of the bottom of the pot and start frying it on medium heat. Dice a medium or large yellow onion and add this to the pork. Stir until the onions are translucent.
Now you can add your beans and potatoes! I like to add them in layers so that it isn't so hard to stir later into a good, balanced mixture. As soon as you have all the veggies in, pour in enough water to come to the top of the beans, but not completely covering them, as they will cook down soon. Get the water to a good boil and then turn down to a simmer.
Cover the pot and check it every few minutes, giving it a stir. When you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork, the dish is done!
Serve immediately with your favorite meat dish and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let me know if this dish brings back memories for you and if you've ever made this yourself!