{"id":58278,"date":"2015-08-16T04:00:59","date_gmt":"2015-08-16T02:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ellerepublic.de\/birnen-bohnen-und-speck\/"},"modified":"2020-05-24T22:55:29","modified_gmt":"2020-05-24T20:55:29","slug":"green-beans-with-pears-and-bacon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ellerepublic.de\/en\/green-beans-with-pears-and-bacon\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Beans with Pears and Bacon"},"content":{"rendered":"

An odd sounding but absolutely delicious dish in Northern Germany is one called \u201cBirnen, Bohnen und Speck\u201d (green beans with pears and bacon). I first was introduced to this delicious number by my friend Ines. It\u2019s a regular at her family functions. Intrigued, I had to give it a try. My way of course. Though, I\u2019m not sure there is a right way. I think every family has their own recipe for this dish.<\/p>\n

Seasonally, this dish is made anytime from the end of July to September. When beans are freshest. With smoked bacon this dish has that hearty, smoky and succulent flavor that only bacon can deliver, together with delicately sweet pears and fresh beans it’s a delicious combination. In this case, I included both market fresh green beans and my summer favorite — fava beans.<\/p>\n

\"Summer<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course adding fresh fava beans to this dish adds an an extra element \u2014 called work. Yes, they are a little labor intensive but worth every second \u2014 I think. I\u2019m told they are also available frozen, I have yet to witness this. The extent of my stroll through the frozen aisle only includes grabbing a bag of frozen peas (for the kids) and some frozen berries (I live for them), sometimes a little baby spinach.<\/p>\n

So if you aren\u2019t up for the challenge \u2014 which is hardly a challenge \u2014 then either skip the fava beans and add more green beans, or grab yourself a bag from the frozen food section. The main thing here is \u2014 the pears, the green beans, the bacon. Ooh, I forgot to mention, in Germany they eat this with steamed potatoes. I opted for a summery couscous salad.<\/p>\n

\"Summer<\/a><\/p>\n

The important thing is the fresh green beans. Young beans. That\u2019s the secret to delicious green beans. They only need about 2-3 minutes of blanching to achieve perfectly tasty vibrant green beans. So remember, not all green beans are alike. The longer the bean was on the vine, the tougher it can be. Fresh, young beans should be able to cook up perfectly well in just a few minutes. That is if you are like me and like them to be \u201ccrisp-tender\u201d. I believe beans \u2014 any beans \u2014 should remain green and never be overcooked.<\/p>\n

So after they have a short bath in boiling water they are doused in an icy bath of water to seal in their bright green color and bring any further cooking to a halt.<\/p>\n

Other than preparing the beans, this recipe is super simple to prepare. The beans are first blanched, the bacon saut\u00e9ed until slightly crispy, then the pears added and further saut\u00e9ed until soft, the beans added and further cooked until warmed and then tossed with the dressing. Voila. Super simple. Super delicious. Loved it.<\/p>\n

PS) be sure to pick up a quality organic smoked bacon from a butcher you trust.<\/p>\n

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\"Summer<\/a><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n Elle<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

Summer Green Beans with Pears and Bacon<\/h2>
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