Green Beans and Potatoes

Green beans are the best!!  However, I do not like them when they are just boiled in water.  I like more flavor.  I took this recipe from Paula Deen about 10 years ago, and have used it ever since.  It calls for chicken broth.  You can use that but I had to be tied to canned and processed items so I either use broth I have saved from boiling chicken or I use the broth starter.  It is like a bouillon cube but much healthier and it even comes in organic.  It is somewhat liquid, and you can make your broth as rich as you like.  Most of the time I leave the potatoes out, it is great either way.  You can also use new potatoes, red potatoes or any potato with the texture like a Yukon Gold potato.  If you do not have fresh green beans, you can buy frozen and allow them to thaw.  They are okay but they have a slightly different texture than using fresh green beans.


Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh green beans
• 1/4 pound salt pork, sliced or cubed
• 1/4 cup bacon grease
• 3 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 12 small red potatoes
• 1 onion, cut into slivers

Directions:

Remove the ends from the beans. Snap the beans in 2 pieces, place into a colander, wash, and set aside to drain
.
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven, or a large pot with a lid, lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over medium heat, turning often, for approximately 10 minutes. Toss the green beans into the pot, stirring them with a wooden spoon to coat well with the pork fat. Add the broth and House Seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat, covered tightly, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beans are half done.


While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler. At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add 1/4 cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, periodically checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are wilted, approximately 15 minutes.