Old Fashioned Ham with String Beans

A genuine Pennsylvania Dutch one-pot supper where smoked ham, string beans, and potatoes simmer together in the ham’s own broth. Three hours of slow cooking is what makes this dish, the ham releases salt and smoky flavor into the cooking liquid, which then seasons the beans and potatoes as they cook through.

The staggered cooking order is essential. Ham goes in first for the full three hours to make a rich smoky broth. Green beans join 25 minutes before the end, just enough to soften without losing their snap. Potatoes go in last, cooking until tender at the same moment the beans finish.

The vinegar at the table is the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch touch. A splash of cider or white vinegar in each bowl cuts through the rich pork broth and brightens the whole dish, exactly the way Pennsylvania farmers have eaten it for generations.

This is hearty farmhouse food meant to feed a hungry table. One smoked ham hock or ham steak feeds 10 people when stretched with vegetables and broth.

Kitchen Tips

• Choose a bone-in smoked ham if possible. The bone contributes deeper flavor to the broth than a boneless cut.

• Maintain a quart of broth in the pot at all times. Top up with hot water as it reduces, otherwise the dish becomes too salty and the vegetables don’t cook properly.

• Taste before adding salt. Smoked ham is heavily salted, so the broth often needs no additional salt at all.

• Use waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold) over russets. They hold their shape during the long simmer instead of falling apart.

Variations

• Add a chopped onion and a clove of garlic to the broth for more aromatic depth.

• Stir in a cup of fresh corn kernels in the last 10 minutes for a sweet vegetable addition.

• Substitute a smoked turkey leg for the ham for a lower-sodium alternative.