Green Beans and Bacon

Recipe No. 562 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

Beans, green — 25 pounds (20 No. 56 dippers)*

• Meat stock, boiling — 1½ gallons (6 No. 56 dippers)
• Bacon rind or ham hocks — 1 pound
• Bacon, diced — 12 ounces
• Butter — 8 ounces (¼ No. 56 dipper)
• Salt — as needed
• Pepper — as needed

Directions

1. Wash beans and remove ends. Cut into pieces or leave whole. Add boiling stock and bacon rind or ham hocks.
2. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes or until beans are tender.
3. Remove bacon rinds or ham hocks. If ham hocks are used, remove meat from bones and return to stock.
4. Fry bacon. Combine bacon, bacon fat, butter, salt, pepper and cooked beans; mix well.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beans, green — 2 lb Meat stock, boiling — 2 cups Bacon rind or ham hocks — 1¼ oz Bacon, diced — 1 oz Butter — ⅔ oz Salt — to taste Pepper — to taste

3 to 4 No. 10 cans green beans may be substituted for the 25 pounds fresh green beans. Omit ham hocks.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 562, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.