Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar

Filed under: RECIPES - Sides

Green beans are a true staple of the Americas. They may be eaten raw, steamed, blanched, baked, or sautéed. The peak season for growing green beans is in the Spring and Fall, but they do well most of the year, depending on the area.

There are a variety of terms used for green beans but technically they are all the same.
- Pole beans require a support structure. The early Americans utilized the corn stalk by planting green beans along rows of corn. Allowing the bean vine to climb the stalk.
- Bush beans are identical to pole beans except that they grow on a bush.
- The snap bean refers to the snapping sound the beans make when broken.
- Earlier varieties of beans had a rough string of fiber along the side that had to be removed during preparation for cooking. Thus the name string bean.

Green beans grow in a variety of colors including yellow, purple and green. Combine the three for a beautiful presentation. Serve with baked pork chops or grilled salmon .

Source: Adapted from a recipe by Heather Murphy
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon brown sugar
4 slices bacon, cut into ½ in pieces
1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced

Blanch the green beans, by placing them in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. They should remain crisp but not tough. Remove the beans from the water. Immediately set them in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and set aside.

Cook bacon in a large saute pan on medium heat until done. Drain grease. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add the butter and sugar. Melt the butter. Saute the butter and brown sugar until it begins to thicken slightly. Add the green beans tossing to coat, warm through. Salt to taste.

Variations:
- use maple syrup instead of the brown sugar.
- 1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen green beans
- Add 1/4 cup broken walnut pieces. Saute with onions.

Technorati Tags: bacon, blanching, green beans, side dish, Thanksgiving

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