Southern Green Beans

 All good Southern cooks keep a supply of bacon grease in their fridge.  They know it's secret: perfect tasting food every time.  Use it anywhere you would normally use butter or oil for sauteing vegetables or meats.  It ads an extra level of flavor to any meal.  So what if it isn't good for your waist line: your hips may curse your name but your taste buds will praise you!

This is how my family has cooked green beans for years.  The beans are tender and packed with flavor.  You'd be hard pressed to find any leftover once the meal is done.  Use frozen beans for this recipe.  Canned are generally sad and packed with too much salt.  Adding the bacon would be overkill on the salt in take.



Ingredients

1 lb frozen green beans
3 strips bacon, raw
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


Directions 

1. Thaw the beans in a bowl of cool water.

2. Into a COLD skillet, use a pair of kitchen sheers to cut the bacon into small pieces.  This saves time on waiting for the bacon to cool enough to chop after it's been cooked.  My cooked bacon never lasts long enough to chop- we eat it straight away and have none left for the beans.  Add the onions and garlic and heat over medium until the bacon is crisped.

3.   Drain the green beans and add to the skillet.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the beans are tender.