Birnen, Bohnen und Speck – green beans with pears and bacon

Use raw cured, cold-smoked bacon that needs cooking, not pre-cooked or roasted bacon. The piece should be approximately 3 cm thick. Check that it has no rind, bones or cartilage, and weigh out 400 g net. Quarter the onion. Tie the savory sprigs together with kitchen string so they can be removed later.

Put the bacon and onion in a 3–4 l pot, pour in 1 l water and bring to a boil. The bacon should be covered by the liquid; if needed, add some of the reserved 250 ml water, heating it first. Skim off any foam and discard it. Reduce the heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 45–60 minutes, until a fork enters the bacon easily but the meat can still be sliced. If it is still firm, cook it longer before adding the vegetables. Lift the bacon onto a platter and cover it. Remove and discard the onion. Do not pour away the broth.

While the bacon cooks, wash the green beans, trim the ends and remove any tough strings. Weigh out 600 g trimmed beans and cut them into 4–5 cm pieces. Cut the peeled potatoes into similar-sized pieces. Put them in a separate pot with 1.5 l water and 4 g salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 18–25 minutes, until tender. Drain, discarding the water, and keep covered.

Add the green beans and tied savory to the bacon broth. The beans should be mostly submerged; if needed, top up from the same reserve of up to 250 ml hot water, allowing for the amount already used. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook covered for 8–10 minutes. At this stage the beans do not need to be completely tender yet, as they will continue cooking with the pears.

Just before adding them, wash the pears, cut into quarters and remove the stalks, cores and blossom ends. Leave the skin on and weigh out 600 g prepared quarters. Carefully lower them into the pot with the beans using tongs. Simmer gently, covered, for another 12–15 minutes, until the beans are tender and a knife enters the pears easily, while the pears still hold their shape. The beans cook for 20–25 minutes in total. If the pears soften sooner, lift them out with a slotted spoon and cover them.

Lift the cooked beans and pears onto a platter with a slotted spoon and cover them so they do not cool. Remove and discard the savory bundle. Measure 500 ml broth into a small saucepan; save the remaining broth for another dish. Thoroughly mix the starch with the reserved 50 ml cold water. Pour the slurry into the gently simmering 500 ml broth, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, until a lightly thickened sauce forms. Add the lemon juice and pepper. Taste and add some of the 4 g salt set aside for the sauce only if needed, because the bacon has already salted the broth.

Cut the bacon into slices approximately 1 cm thick. Pour any juices from the platter and board into the sauce. Put the slices in the hot sauce and heat gently for 2–3 minutes, until hot again. Divide all the bacon, green beans, pears and potatoes among 4 deep plates. Distribute all the sauce from the saucepan among the servings. Serve immediately while hot.