Servings: 4 people
Calories: 208kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 1inch pieces
- 1 ham hock meaty parts cut from bone and diced
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot via “Saute” normal settings. Once hot, add oil to pot. Add ham hocks or bacon and cook 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate.
- Add onions and garlic saute 3-4 minutes. Season with ⅓ of the spices during saute.
- Add green beans and mix well coating all the green beans with seasoned oil and vegetables.
- Add tomatoes and mix well with the vegetables deglazing the pot. Season with another ⅓ of the seasonings. Let the tomatoes cook 2-3 minutes to reduce by half and concentrate the flavor. Cancel “Saute”
- Add chicken stock and the ham hocks/bacon back to the pot. Add remaining seasoning, mix well.
- Close the lid and pressure cook manually for 7 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
Notes
Blanch the green beans if cooking via traditional stovetop
Blanching refers to a cooking technique where you briefly boil a vegetable in water and then plunge it into ice water to preserve the color and texture of the vegetable. In the case of vegetables like broccoli or these green beans, blanching guarantees brightly colored green beans with perfectly tender-crisp.Season at each step
Bland dishes are the direct result of improper, delinquent seasoning. Too little seasoning is usually the culprit, but a well seasoned dish to me includes layers and complexity. Season the onions and garlic to make the sauce more robust. Spices bloom in flavor when heated. And season the green beans during the final step.Use a good quality paprika
This is a few ingredient dish that relies on quality vs. quantity. The green beans are the star, but paprika plays a major supporting role in delivering high flavor in a short cook time. Where possible I buy in bulk by the ounce and target sweet smoked paprika vs. the hot one. Brown the meat. See my previous post on avoiding sticking to the pan Properly saute your aromatics Aromatics refer to the garlic, onions, and peppers in this recipe. You want to brown them well to bring out their flavor and aroma.- Pre-heat the pan to desired heat level first before adding any oil or fat. Pre-heating ensures you are ready to start cooking the moment you add your fat. This is not a step where you try to save time by heating pan with oil at same time because as oil/fats heat up they lose flavor at certain temps.
- Don’t add too much oil; you want just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Don’t stir too much in terms of frequency. Allowing the vegetables to sit still gives them a chance to brown.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Overcrowding traps steam in the pan
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2327IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 4mg
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