Tennessee White Beans Recipes

WHITE BEANS WITH PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain the soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Put the beans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Toss in the bay leaves and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 11/2 hours until tender. Drain the cooked beans and spread them out on a sheet pan to cool slightly.
• Put about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow platter and season it with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Toss the beans in the seasoned flour to coat completely.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes to crisp it up. Toss in the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the pancetta and sage to some paper towels; now you have a flavor base. Shake off excess flour from the beans and put them in the pan in a single layer. Fry the beans for a good 10 minutes to form a golden crust on the outside of the beans, tossing to cook both sides.
• Return the pancetta and fried sage to the pan, stir everything together, and serve.

CREAMY WHITE BEANS WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
• Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
• Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
• Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

EASY WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Heat the butter or olive oil over medium-low heat in a small skillet. Add the beans and seasoning. Heat until just warm, about 2 minutes.

TENNESSEE WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• RINSE and soak the beans according to the package directions.
• HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• DRAIN the beans and combine them with the vegetables, ham, and 6 cups of water in a medium or large slow cooker (at least 4 quarts). Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally, and add water as necessary. Season the beans with salt to taste.

WHITE BEANS AND HAM

Steps:

• 1. Rinse and drain white beans, removing any "rocks" or dried up looking beans. Put beans in a crockpot, add water, covering beans. Add bacon drippings, red pepper flakes and ham carcass (or cut up a ham steak into small pieces.) Cook on high until all are good and hot, about 2 hours. Turn temperature to low and continue to cook until beans are tender, about 4-5 hour, depending on crockpot or slow cooker. Remove ham and let cool. Trim ham from bone and fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return ham pieces to white beans. Any leftover beans are good to make white chili. Be careful adding more salt as your ham is going to be salty. **If you don't have any ham, add a small piece of fat back or salt pork to the beans while cooking.

SMOKY WHITE BEANS & HAM

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Transfer beans to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add ham hocks. Stir in onion, broth, water and seasonings. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until beans are tender., Remove meat from bones when cool enough to handle; cut ham into small pieces and return to slow cooker. Serve with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with onions if desired.