Christmas Dinner
- Thread starter 5 Hole
- Start date
TentHunter
Moderator
Deb, they're nothing special, but they're cheap, easy peasy and everyone loves 'em. Your Ham hock will make all the difference!
Use either fresh green beans (washed & the strings removed) or get a couple bags of frozen green beans. I've used both and really can't say that one is better. Frozen are usually picked at the pinnacle of ripeness and often times are better quality than what I find in the supermarket produce section.
Clean and cut up some potatoes into big honking chunks (with skin on or peel - your choice). Chop a large onion into big sections.
Use either a big pot or a crock pot. Put the smoked ham hock or ham bone (hopefully with a little meat on it) in the pot along with the green beans, potatoes & onion. If you want add some more chunks of ham if there's not much on the ham bone.
Just barely cover them with filtered or bottled drinking water (avoid chlorinated tap water Unless its filtered - it affects the flavor).
Add some seasoning - perhaps some pepper, red pepper, bay leaf etc. BUT, DO NOT ADD A LOT OF SALT, especially if the ham bone was cured! It can affect the tenderness of the beans while they're cooking and the potatoes will absorb salt like crazy. Besides, you'll be amazed at how well the smoked ham bone flavors the whole pot!
Cook on medium heat in crock pot or simmer on the stove, covered for around 4 hours or so. They should be nice and tender at this point. Remove the bone to cool a bit. Taste the beans/broth and adjust seasoning if necessary. You will most likely add a little more salt at this point. Cut the meat off the bone and return it to the pot.
Reduce the heat and let it ride or serve and enjoy!
This is a great winter dish. We'll make a huge pot of and eat it like soup with some corn bread on the side. My kids tear this up!
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