Green Beans by "Crash" Recipe

Ingredients

* Salt to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon - coarse, crushed, black pepper
* Piece of bacon fat (fat back)
* Dash of cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon - bacon grease
* 1 28 oz. can - Cut Italian Green Beans or Fresh
* 1 cup - water (if your using fresh green beans)
* 1 medium - yellow onion

Directions

This a recipe was handed down to me from my Granny Craddock. This is the way I remember Green Beans in Tennessee.

First, you need some green beans. Fresh is best, but if you cannot find fresh, you can use canned. I like those 28 oz. cans of "Cut Italian Green Beans". If you start with fresh green beans, use the smallest beans, or "snap" about 4 cups worth of larger beans. "Snapping" a green bean is breaking it into 1"-1.5" pieces. Fresh green beans make a crisp "snap" sound when broken. If using fresh green beans plan to cook them much longer, also expect the volume to be about half when done. Fresh green beans will "cook down" as near completion. The recipe is pretty simple.

Add onion (cut into 1" pieces), and bacon "fat back".

Cook on Low to Medium heat for at least an hour or more, stirring occasionally. If fresh beans, cook for several hours on low heat. The idea here is to cook the beans "down" until they are soft and very little liquid is left. These green beans are the opposite of steamed or lightly sauted beans found on "spa" cooking. You may have to add liquid as they cook. DO NOT LET THEM BURN ("Crash" usually does)!

Most Southerns add a few 1" squares of "fat back" or "salt pork", adds flavor.