A Bountiful Kitchen: Taste of the South (Recipe: Big Mill B&B’s Southern String Beans with Polenta)

Although born and raised in the Midwest, I have always had an affinity for the South.

photo credit Chloe Tuttle

Blame it on their stately oak trees adorned with tangles of Spanish moss, sprawling plantation homes or sweet iced tea; what it really comes down to is the genuine warmth and hospitality found in most southerners, not to mention their down-home cooking. If you’ve never experienced it, there is nothing like the feeling of being welcome and well-cared for while dining at a southern table.

That’s why, when I received a note from Big Mill Bed & Breakfast owner, Chloe Tuttle, about her recipe for Southern String Beans with Polenta, my curiosity was piqued. A lifelong southern cook, Chloe informed that she had researched many variations on the web and couldn’t find one she considered correct, “They all use bacon and no self-respecting southern cook will substitute bacon for side meat or ham hock.”

Because I’ve known Chloe long enough to trust her judgment and dedication when it comes to southern cooking, I jumped at the chance to feature her recipe. In true southern style, here is Big Mill B&B’s down-home version of String Beans with Polenta.

Enjoy!

photo credit Chloe Tuttle

Southern String Beans with Polenta

(featured on Inn Cuisine, recipe from Chloe Tuttle, owner Big Milll B&B, Williamston, NC)

String beans seasoned with salted or smoked pork are standard fare in southern kitchens.

• 4 cups water
• 1 smoked ham hock, about 1½  pounds *see note at end
• 1½ pounds fresh string beans** like heirloom Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake pole beans. Other green beans will work, but you must be careful not to overcook.
• 16 ounces prepared polenta found in the refrigerator or produce section of the grocery store.
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• generous sprinkling of black pepper

Wash the ham hock. Place water and ham hock in a 6-quart cooking pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a slow boil, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Do not allow the water to boil out of the pot. Add more water if (as) necessary.

Wash the string beans and snap off the ends, but do not break the beans. Add beans to the pot with the ham hock. Water should cover about half of the beans—add water if necessary. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir gently to move the beans from the bottom of the pot to the top.

Lay the polenta slices on top of the beans, so that it is slightly in the liquid. Southern cooks traditionally add corn meal dumplings to the beans. It is boiled corn meal and has a similar taste to polenta.

Cover and continue cooking until beans are tender, about 20-30 minutes. If you are using bush beans they will cook quicker. If using Kentucky Wonder or other pole beans, they will need to cook the full 20-30 minutes and maybe longer.

Serve warm.

Yield: 4-5 servings

* Note – ½ pound salt pork, sometimes called “Streak of Lean, Streak of Fat,” side meat or fat back (although there are subtle differences) can be used instead of the ham hock.

** Green beans or string beans can be either a bush variety or a running variety, often called pole beans. Many gardeners grow both. The bush beans are ready earlier and the pole beans will bear longer.

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Tagged as: bed and breakfast recipes, Big Mill B&B recipes, cooking with local sustainable food recipes, green bean recipes, southern green beans, southern string beans with polenta recipe, southern style green beans recipe, vegetable recipes, vegetarian recipes