When we think of holiday celebrations—especially Thanksgiving—this recipe is always on the “can’t wait to eat” list! The great thing about green beans—and our Smoked Lardons—are that they are available year-round, so you won’t need to wait for a special occasion to whip these up.
To achieve perfectly cooked green beans that are crisp, colorful and flavorful, use fresh green beans. This means, you’ll want to pick out beans that are firm, brightly green and without blemishes. To ensure that they don’t absorb too much water when cooking, use kitchen shears to trim just the tips. We boil the green beans in seasoned water—making sure to drain and shock the beans in an ice bath to lock in the flavor and stop the cooking process.
You’ll find this recipe is easy and is guaranteed to make the other veggie dishes green with envy because it’s cozied up with our lardons, aka. chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside, flavor bombs! It’s a winner for any dinner and makes a great sidekick for the main attraction.
You’ll find this recipe is easy and is guaranteed to make the other veggie dishes green with envy because it’s cozied up with our lardons, aka. chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside, flavor bombs! It’s a winner for any dinner and makes a great sidekick for the main attraction.
1-2 tbsp reserved bacon fat from cooking the Smoked Lardons
2 ½ lbs cleaned and trimmed Green Beans
1 small onion, finely chopped (we prefer yellow)
Kosher or Hawaiian Salt
1 tbsp Christopher Ranch Minced Garlic, or three cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Juice of ½ lemon
Ground pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil—this makes for much easier cleanup.
Toss pecans lightly in 1 tbsp olive oil, arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Toast the pecans, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant and brown, approximately 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, remove and chop for use with the green beans.
Using sharp kitchen shears, clean and trim green beans.
Toss the green beans into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until a bright green color is achieved, approximately 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. They can turn soggy quickly.
Drain the green beans and shock in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Drain the beans again and pat dry.
While the green beans are cooking, fry the Smoked Lardons in a pan or skillet until desired crispiness is achieved, about 5 minutes.
For cooking tips, we suggest placing a single layer of lardons in a cold skillet with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Set heat to medium-high heat and completely cook off the water.
Lower to medium heat and brown the first side of the lardons.
Flip and fry second side of lardons to desired crispiness.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the Smoked Lardons from the pan, and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain, saving the bacon fat in the pan ~ 2 tbs.
Add the onion to the pan and saute until soft and very tender, 5-6 minutes. If you have the patience, go head and cook them longer to caramelize them. Just remember to keep the heat low. You don't want your onions burning.
Sprinkle in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for just a minute until fragrant.
Add the green beans and cook until heated through, about 6 minutes.
Return the Smoked Lardons to the pan, pour in the lemon juice and toasted pecasn and toss everything together.
