Active Time

　　30 min

　　Total Time

　　1 1/2 hr

　　Beans have sustained people—black, white, and Native American—in the South for centuries. Miss Lewis first developed this recipe as a way of jazzing up canned green beans, which she appreciated for their economy. These days, fresh green beans are available and affordable all year long, so we happily adapted the recipe. Don't rush the cooking time and the goodness of these beans will be a revelation: smoky, luxuriant, and vegetal.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 (side dish) servings

　　1 meaty ham hock (about 10 ounces)

　　2 quarts water

　　2 pound green beans, trimmed

　　

Step 1

Bring ham hock and water to a boil with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium pot. Add green beans and cook, uncovered, until very soft, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Transfer ham hock to a cutting board and discard skin, then finely chop meat, discarding bone.

　　

Step 3

Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Drain beans, then toss with ham and reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Beans can be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.