Recipe By : Sylvia Woods of the World Famous Sylvia's Restaurant (NYC)
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soul Food Pork & Ham
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Smoked ham bone -OR-
8 Pig's tails
2 1/3 lb Fresh string beans
1 tb Salt
1 ts Black pepper -- freshly ground
1 ts Sugar
Put the ham bone in a 6 qt pot with enough water to fill halfway.
Heat to boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Simmer
45 minutes.
Prepare the beans while the bone is simmering. Snap the stem end from
each bean and pull gently along the length of the bean to remove the
string. It may not be necessary to remove the string from very young
beans. Rinse the beans in a colander under cold running water. Drain
and add to the pot along with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer the
beans until very tender, up to 30 minutes for old tough beans or
around 15 minutes for very tender young beans. Check the seasoning
halfway through the cooking and adjust if necessary. Remove the bone
and drain the beans. Serve hot.
Notes:
The way most people prepare vegetables nowadays is more like dipping
them in boiling water than really cooking them. These beans, which
are simmered in a ham broth until tender and very flavorful, are a
real treat. Fresh green peas are delicious cooked the same
way--reduce the cooking time to about 10 minutes.
