BRAISED STRING BEANS WITH BACON My good friend and fellow food writer Meredith Smith is from Kentucky, where braised greasy beans (yes, that’s what the bean variety is called) are a way of life True greasy bean pods have thick strings and big beans inside that take about an hour to soften properly They’re also impossible to find round my parts Fortunately, braised string beans capture plenty of that slow-cooked beany flavor, and they’re available pretty much anywhere (Please don’t tell Meredith I’m using regular string beans She’ll kill me.) If anyone ever tries to tell you that green beans absolutely must be perfectly al dente and snappy to be worth eating, just shove a handful of these in their mouth and they’ll clam right up NOTE: For best results, use slab bacon, but sliced bacon can be used in its place: Cut the bacon crosswise into ẵinch-wide strips SERVES 4 TO 6 8 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1-by-ẵ-inch-thick lardons 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced ẵ teaspoon red pepper flakes ẵ cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock 1ẵ pounds string beans, ends trimmed ẳ cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Place the bacon and oil in a large saucepan, add ½ cup water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cook until the water is evaporated and the bacon is ... large saucepan, add ½ cup water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cook until the water is evaporated and the bacon is ... ẵ teaspoon red pepper flakes ẵ cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock 1ẵ pounds string beans, ends trimmed ẳ cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Place the bacon