Leather Britches/Shucky Beans
intro
A beloved heirloom Appalachian side of slow-simmered dried green beans with smoky salt pork, delivering deep, rich, savory comfort in every bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Sort and rinse beans
Spread the 225g dried shucky beans on a clean baking sheet, pick out any discolored pods, tough stems, or small field debris, then rinse thoroughly under cool running water in a colander for 1 minute to remove surface dust. Do not soak the beans prior to cooking, as this can dilute their signature concentrated, earthy flavor.
Render salt pork
Place the 113g cubed smoked salt pork in a heavy-bottomed 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-low heat (3/10 stovetop setting). Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has fully rendered out, the pork cubes are golden and crispy around the edges, and a thin, even layer of melted fat coats the bottom of the pot.
Sauté diced onion
Add the 110g diced yellow onion to the pot with the rendered salt pork, increase heat to medium (5/10 stovetop setting), and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, translucent, and fragrant, with no dark brown burnt edges.
Slow-simmer the beans
Pour the 1.9L cool water into the Dutch oven, add the rinsed dried shucky beans, stir to combine, and bring the liquid to a gentle rolling boil over medium-high heat (7/10 stovetop setting). Once boiling, reduce heat to the lowest setting (1/10), cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring once every 30 minutes to prevent beans from sticking to the pot bottom.
Season and tenderize
After 2 hours of simmering, remove the lid, stir in 5g kosher salt and 1g freshly ground black pepper, prop the lid slightly ajar to let a small amount of steam escape, and continue simmering on low heat for an additional 30 minutes. Test doneness by squishing a bean between two fingers: it should be completely tender with no tough, chewy core, and the cooking liquid will taste lightly smoky and savory.
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat, let the beans rest, covered, for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld, then taste and add extra salt if needed before serving hot. Ladle a small amount of the smoky cooking pot liquor over each serving alongside cornbread or roasted pork for a traditional meal.
Tips
2.If smoked salt pork is unavailable, substitute 4 thick-cut slices of smoked bacon, but avoid sweet cured bacon (like maple-flavored) as it will disrupt the dish’s savory, smoky balance.
3.Keep the simmer at the lowest possible heat after the initial boil: rapid high-heat boiling will turn bean pods mushy on the outside before they cook through evenly.
Game changer! I was looking for cheap, hearty meal prep ideas for the week and this popped up. I made this on Sunday afternoon while I was folding laundry, it didn’t require constant attention at all. My kids loved it, even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds! Served with skillet cornbread and it was SO good.
Took these to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe all night! I added a little extra smoked bacon grease like my pap used to and it kicked the flavor up a whole notch. Will 100% be making this again for our fall cookout.
I’ve been going down a rabbit hole of old Appalachian recipes lately and this one did not disappoint. OMG, the slow cook time makes the beans so tender and savory, no weird canned bean texture at all. I love that it uses simple, affordable ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.
Wait, quick question — I can’t find dried green beans at my regular grocery store out here. Can I use fresh green beans and dry them out myself, or will that mess up the texture?
This cost me less than $5 total to make for a family of four? Are you kidding? I’m so used to bean recipes that require a million fancy seasonings but this is just simple, cozy comfort food. 10/10, adding this to our regular rotation.
My dad was from eastern Kentucky and made leather britches every deer season when I was a kid. I’ve tried a handful of recipes over the years and this is the closest I’ve found to how he made them. Didn’t change a single thing and it was perfect. Reminded me of sitting around his wood stove after a cold morning hunt.
Has anyone tried making this vegetarian? I don’t eat pork so I usually swap bacon for smoked paprika and olive oil in bean recipes, but I don’t want to lose that deep, smoky flavor that makes these so good.
Wait, can I make this in a slow cooker instead of on the stovetop? I work 10 hour shifts so I love dumping stuff in the Crockpot before I leave and coming home to dinner ready.
Made this for our extended family Sunday dinner last week and even my 82 year old aunt who grew up in West Virginia said it tasted just like her mom’s recipe! I served it with fried apples, collard greens, and buttermilk biscuits and the whole spread was a hit.
Made a big batch of these before our backcountry camping trip last weekend and they held up so well! Reheated them over the campfire in a cast iron pot and they were the perfect warm, filling meal after a long day of hiking. Way better than dehydrated backpacking meals, for sure.
Full transparency, I’m a total beginner in the kitchen and I was worried I’d mess this up, but the instructions were so straightforward! No fancy techniques, just simmer the beans low and slow with the seasonings and bacon. It turned out amazing, my roommate thought I ordered takeout lol.
I added a pinch of red pepper flakes and a dash of apple cider vinegar at the end and wow, that little tang and heat takes these to the next level! Don’t get me wrong, the original recipe is perfect, but that little tweak made it taste exactly how my grandma used to make them in Tennessee.
Portioned this out into 6 containers after making it on Sunday and it’s been my go-to lunch all week. It gets even better after a day or two in the fridge as the flavors meld together, honestly. Way more satisfying than the sad salads I usually bring for lunch.
I grew up eating these every Thanksgiving and Christmas but never tried making them myself because I thought they were too complicated. This recipe was so easy! I made them for our family Easter dinner and everyone raved. I even got my grandma’s seal of approval, which is basically a Michelin star in my book.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free! I have celiac and so many old fashioned bean recipes have hidden wheat thickeners or soy sauce with gluten, but this is just simple, whole ingredients. No weird reactions after eating it, and it tasted amazing with my gluten free cornbread.
Help! I turned the heat up too high when I was simmering the beans and a bunch of the water boiled off, so the beans on the bottom got a little scorched. Is there any way to save them, or do I have to start over?
Made these in my 100 year old cast iron Dutch oven over the fire pit last weekend and the flavor was unreal. The little bit of smoke from the fire soaked right into the beans, it felt like the most authentic way to make them. 10/10, will be making these every fall when the weather cools down.