INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut bacon into small pieces then cook until crisp in a large saucepan.
- Add beans then add enough broth or water to cover the beans by a little less than an inch of liquid (you may not need all 4 cups).
- Cook over medium heat until just boiling then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer beans for 30 minutes.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt then continue cooking for 30 minutes or until beans are very tender (sometimes frozen beans take longer to get tender).
- Taste for salt then add more if desired.
- Turn off heat, uncover pan, then let beans rest for 15 minutes before serving.
NOTES:
If I have chicken broth, I use it, but water is just as good so long as you have bacon (fatback, ham hocks, smoked turkey wings, etc.) to add flavor.
The amount of salt you need depends on how salty your bacon is and whether you use water or broth. You’ll need at least 1/2 teaspoon and will likely add more.
I don’t salt the beans the first 30 minutes of cooking because salt can sometimes make peas and beans tough.
You don’t want to drown these in water or broth when you’re cooking them but you may want to keep an eye on your pan to make sure you don’t need to add more liquid. The beans need to be submerged the entire time they’re cooking.
Feel free to saute diced onion with the bacon for another layer of flavor.
Once cooked, these can sit on the stove (with no heat) for a looooong time without getting mushy. The longer they set, the better they are! Just bring them back to temperature over low heat when you’re ready to eat.
