WHEN I WAS A CHILD GROWING UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, one of my kitchen duties was to string and snap the Kentucky Wonder pole beans that climbed up tall stakes in my grandaddy’s large garden. I hated the chore, but how I loved eating those tender, delicious string beans, which Mother would simmer with ham hock or streak-o’-lean for maybe three hours before adding a few tiny new red potatoes to the pot. Today, genuine Kentucky Wonders have almost disappeared everywhere but in their home state (and even there are grown mostly in home gardens), replaced by the stringless, more fragile Blue Lakes found in most supermarkets, which require little more than about 20 minutes of simmering to become tender. I suppose this relatively new hybrid is okay, the only problem being that the beans hardly have enough time to absorb the flavor of the cooking meat—and no serious Southern cook would dream of simmering green beans without a little pork side meat. Broad, flat pole beans can still be found in most Southern markets during the summer months, and these must indeed be simmered at least 1 hour for optimal flavor and texture. When forced to buy Blue Lakes, what I do is pick out—literally going bean by bean—the largest, fattest ones possible and simply pray they’re sturdy enough to undergo lengthy cooking without becoming mushy. What you do not want for this classic Southern dish are young, thin, delicate, fashionable French-style green beans, which cook in as little as 5 minutes. Just be careful not to scorch these beans and potatoes, adding a little extra water if necessary till the beans are meltingly tender.
MAKES: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounds fresh green beans (not thin French-style beans)
- 1 1-inch-thick chunk streak-o’-lean (lean salt pork) cooking meat
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 dozen tiny new red potatoes
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Pinch off the ends of the green beans and snap them into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces.
- Rinse the green beans well in a colander and transfer them to a large pot.
- Add the cooking meat, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the pot.
- Add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot and simmer the beans slowly until they are tender but still slightly firm, which usually takes about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, rinse the tiny new red potatoes lightly to remove any grit.
- Cut away a strip of skin around the center of each potato using a vegetable peeler.
- Add the potatoes to the pot with the beans and stir with a spoon.
- Continue simmering until the potatoes are tender, which typically takes about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
- Drain the cooked beans and potatoes.
- Serve the beans and potatoes hot in a large bowl.
