Braised Green Beans and Potatoes

Recipe from Scotty Scott

Adapted by Eric Kim

Updated Oct. 18, 2023

Braised Green Beans and Potatoes
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(280)
Comments
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In this simple but powerful recipe, fresh green beans are the alpha and the omega, the bean and the broth. You know a recipe is going to be good when it calls for both onion powder and garlic powder in addition to fresh onion and fresh garlic. The muskier dried versions of these alliums aren’t redundant; they lend fortification to the savory structure that only onion and garlic can build. The potatoes, simmered until soft and fuzzy at the edges, make this holiday side dish — served, please, with a slotted spoon, as part of a buffet plate — feel more like a complete meal when enjoyed later, as leftovers. The ham hock (or smoked turkey leg) isn’t just an afterthought, said Scotty Scott, this recipe’s author and the author of “Fix Me a Plate.” Picked off the bone and chunked into a bowl with the green beans and their rich broth, the meat is a reminder of the soft but important boundary between special and ordinary. —Eric Kim

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 1smoked ham hock or turkey leg (see Tip)
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 5garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2quarts chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • 1½teaspoons seasoned salt, plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon paprika
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼teaspoon onion powder
  • 1fresh or dried bay leaf
  • 2pounds green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
  • 2medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

427 calories; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 1154 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, add the ham hock, onion, garlic, chicken stock, seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. Step 2

    Place the beans in the pot, partly cover it and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. (They will continue to cook with the potatoes.) If the beans are exposed, add more stock to the pot to keep them covered.

  3. Step 3

    Add the potatoes, partly cover the pot again and simmer until cooked through, about 30 more minutes. The beans should be tender but still hold their shape.

  4. Step 4

    Before serving, remove the bay leaf. If desired, remove the ham hock as well, pick off the meat and add the meat back to the pot. Use a slotted spoon to serve the beans as a side dish on a plate or enjoy reheated leftovers in a bowl with the broth.

Tip
  • Other smoked meat products, like turkey wings or a leftover hambone, work in a pinch, but just note that there will be less meat to pick off and enjoy with the beans.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
280 user ratings
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Comments

lisa

I grew up Pennsylvania Dutch and Ham and String Beans was a favorite dinner dish during bean season, typically the summer months. We used both green beans and wax beans, fresh from the garden or farmers market. This recipe omitted my favorite ingredient, vinegar! Ham and beans was always served with apple cider vinegar on the table to add to your bowl. Heaven! And, in true PA Dutch tradition, lots of bread and butter to sop up the broth.

Jamie Ballenger

This is very much like the beans and potatoes my granny, ( Alabama girl, Coal Valley), use to fix on Sundays and holidays. Left overs with 'pot liquor' ladled over left over cornbread. I miss you, granny! Pax, jb

jody

Hallelujah! Crisp green beans provide none of the richness that beans and potatoes cooked together in the briny broth give you. I do not want to hear my beans squeak! More squeak, less flavor.

Tom

I grew up with a version of this that often used bacon instead of ham. Today I make a version that uses the equivalent of a can of unseasoned black eyed peas and a couple tablespoons of smoked paprika to replace the smoky meat flavor of ham or bacon. It also uses vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Instead of salt, I add a little veggie Better than Bouillon. Everything else in Mr. Kim's recipe is about the same. Both my arteries and taste buds prefer my new version.

Arlene

I know I'm late to this party, but just have to respond to all the vinegar comments. I grew up on a southern Ohio farm. We raised lots of green beans every year. Mom would can them in a vinegar brine. These beans were always delicious after an hours long simmering with some pork product. Then, add the potatoes. If we were really lucky we had some sweetcorn to add to the pot. yummy!

Hannah

Anyone tried this in the crockpot?

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Credits

Adapted from “Fix Me a Plate” by Scotty Scott (Page Street Publishing, 2022)

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