Inspired by the thread on how to cook greens, and the misunderstanding of the first response that it was about how to cook green beans.
The person responding said the worst way they ever had them was boiled. My favorite way is southern style which involves boiling them. My wife on the other hand doesn’t like them this way so I only get a good batch of southern style a couple of times a year if I’m lucky. Most of the time we get them steamed (crunchy) with just a touch of butter on them.
My way is to chop up several slices of bacon, chop a small onion or two. Put the bacon pieces into a large pot and heat until cooked but not crispy. Add the onion and saute until the onions are translucent. Add about a pound of fresh green beans, a few cups of chicken broth (I cheat and get the box from the store… don’t remember how many cups that is), red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add water if needed to cover the beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the beans are nice and tender. This is how my grandma did them so it has to be the right way.
So, what are your preferred methods? Boiled, steamed, casserole, or something else?
Sautee some chopped garlic and onions in oil until clear. Add beans until tender, can of italian style diced tomatoes, simmer about 10 minutes. Season to taste.
I usually just drop 'em in boiling salted water for just a few seconds to heat them through and then drain 'em and hit the dish with butter, salt & pepper.
They really don’t need a whole lot of gilding IMHO, and I only leave them in the water long enough to get hot, I like 'em still a bit crunchy.
I fix them in a variety of ways, but my favorite is still hillbilly style.
I boil them (and a little bit of chopped onion) just enough to be done but not mushy, fry up some bacon (but not crisp), toss it in with the beans and put a tablespoon or two (depending on how many beans I have) of the bacon grease and a few grinds of pepper. Goes well with sweet corn and sliced garden tomatoes.
I’m pretty basic on my green beans: boil them in salted water for a couple of minutes until they’re tender but not falling-apart mushy, drain, then return to the pot with a pat of butter and swirl around. I know steaming them is healthier in theory, but in reality my kids won’t eat them if they’re too crunchy, so in reality boiling them like this is healthier :).
I only eat fresh; cannot be bothered with canned or frozen. Generally, I sautee with olive oil, salt and pepp. Sometimes, I will toss them in the steamer basket and steam 'em instead, but still drizzle olive oil, salt & pepp.
I also have a green bean salad recipe that’s a huge hit at potlucks:
Blanche a pound or so of clean, cut green beans for about five minutes (plunge in ice water).
Toast about 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans.
Mix the drained green beans with: feta cheese crumbles, diced red onion, and chopped fresh dill. Pour over: 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Toss or stir or whatever to combine ingredients. (I put it in a plastic container, close the lid and shake the hell out of it.) Holds up nicely at picnics, lasts for a few days, and it’s super easy.
Agreed with olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes some seasonings – pretty much random, like a couple dashes of curry powder, or whatever. Then microwave, covered, about five mins.
Best is to also saute some mushrooms and mix 'em in.
We’re lazy, so we end up just taking them from the garden, washing them off, and basically nuking them in a plastic-wrap covered bowl with a tablespoon or so of water. It steams them quickly without much in the way of runoff water to get rid of nutrients.
Then it’s salt, pepper and maybe a bit of butter.
(FYI- roughly 1 cup worth of beans seems to do well for about 3-4 minutes in a 1000 watt microwave).
If we don’t nuke them, it’s usually the simmering with bacon and/or hamhocks route.
My first thought on this is “As little as possible”
I actually love green beans raw. Dip them in ranch or something and I’m good to go. I add raw green beans to my vegetable platters.
If I cook them, I use a skillet and a little water (just a couple of tablespoons). Let the water cook off, add some butter, salt and pepper and I’m happy. If I get fancy, I might add Parmesan and garlic.
Growing up, I thought I hated green beans. It turns out, I just don’t like the cooked until they’re soft. I can’t stand canned green beans in any context. (When I do green bean casserole, I start with raw green beans and cook the casserole until they just stop being crunchy.)
throw a handful into a zip n steam bag and nuke as directed
snap into thirds and add to vegetable beef soup
with potatoes! Gold or Red, preferably. Usually, I steam the beans, then throw them well-drained onto the pan in the last 3-5 minutes of roasting the potatoes.
I like them sauteed in butter, or olive oil, and with almond slivers and salt and pepper. And I like them prepared the way OP describes. But for some odd reason, I never ever cook them that way.
Celtling loves them: frozen, and straight from the bag. The trouble with that is it gives her a belly ache if she eats too many that way. So I cook them quickly, and as surreptitiously as possible, in the hopes that I’ll at least get them blanched before she cottons on to the fact that were having green beans for dinner.
:rolleyes:
These are the little things about having children that no one can warn you about.
I tend to like them cooked long and slow for a least an hour until they change texture and flavor into something a bit buttery/silky. It could be southern style, it could be Greek, or Indian, but I tend to prefer my green beans what some would consider “overcooked.” That said, I enjoy them lightly sautéed (especially Sichuan) or, as mentioned before, tempura battered and deep fried, with a little sriracha to dip.
This - I like them cooked until the cellulose in the pod begins to break down. I read some years ago about the chemistry involved with the cellulose is such that the full flavor of the beans isn’t released until the cellulose begins to disintegrate. Now then, I’m southern, so my preferred style of preparation is what my sainted mother used to call “greasy (pronounced GREE-zee) green beans,” meaning they are boiled in salty water with a healthy spoonful of bacon grease!
