Gina: Green beans and new potatoes, simmered with some type of pork fat, are a classic Southern combination. This dish is one we both grew up on, and when we cook it at home, the smoky aroma of these simmering vegetables instantly transports us to our mothers’ kitchens. There are few flavors more satisfying to any Southerner than the taste of tender new potatoes and green beans that have absorbed the salty, porky goodness of a smoked ham hock.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　2 smoked ham hocks

　　2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed

　　1/2 cup sugar (or less to taste; see note)

　　2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　2 pounds small red new potatoes, rinsed and trimmed of any imperfections

　　1 recipe Smash Seasoning (page 112)

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

　　

Step 1

Place the ham hocks in a large pot, and add enough water just to cover, then bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming any scum that rises to the surface, until the ham hocks are very tender and the meat is falling away from the bone. Add the green beans, sugar, and salt to the pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 25 minutes. Add the potatoes and Smash Seasoning to the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes more.

　　

Step 2

Remove the ham hocks from the pot. Discard the leathery skin (it should pull off easily), and, using a fork, pull the meat from the bone. Coarsely chop the meat, and add it back to the pot. Taste for seasonings, and then serve with hot sauce, if desired.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Only a Yankee would consider draining the magnificent cooking liquid known as “pot liquor” from this dish. We definitely like ours on the sweeter side, so if you don’t, feel free to use less sugar or leave it out altogether. If you want a neater presentation, go ahead and use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes and beans to a serving dish, but to enjoy them “down home” style, serve them in a shallow bowl with plenty of cooking liquid, several dashes of hot sauce, and warm, buttered cornbread on the side for sopping up every last drop of goodness.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.