Birnen, Bohnen Und Speck
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Birnen, Bohnen und Speck ("pears, beans and bacon") is a North German dish which is especially popular in the states of
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
,
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; ), also known by its Anglicisation, anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a Federated state, state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's States of Germany, sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...
and
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. It also goes under the names of Bohnen, Birnen und Speck and, locally, the
Low German Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
names of ''Grööner Hein'' and ''Grönen Heini'' (lit: "Green Harry"). The seasonal availability of its ingredients means that the dish is mainly eaten in the months of August and September. The dish is a type of
stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...
, in which—as the name indicates—the main ingredients are
pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
s,
bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...
s and speck. In North German country kitchens,
potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
es would also be added, even though they are not specifically mentioned.


Ingredients

Generally cut French beans (''Brechbohnen'') are used. In Hamburg on the markets occasionally "Turkish peas" may be found, despite its name a Vierlande bean variety that used to be frequently used for this dish. During preparation several sprigs of savory are added to the beans. The
pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
s used for this dish are cooking pears, which are inedible raw. They are small, green, and rock-hard, lacking the sweetness of the popular eating varieties. In the Hamburg area, other varieties are used: the '' Vierländer'' and the rather sweeter '' Finkenwerder'' cooking pears. ''Bürgermeisterbirne'' pears may be used. They are not as sweet when raw. Streaky and smoky bacon is traditionally used. The Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein preference is to add potatoes to their ''Bohnen, Birnen und Speck'' that are still firm when cooked, such as the ''Cilena'' or ''Linda'' varieties. In Land Hadeln beef or lamb can also be cooked along with the bacon.


Preparation

According to taste, the bacon is placed either in complete strips or cut up into water which is then brought to the boil. Meanwhile, the beans are cleaned, washed and cut into sections. After 25 minutes of cooking, the beans are added together to the bacon and cooking continues. The flowers are removed from the pears, but the stalks are left on. The pears are left with their skins on throughout. They are then laid on the beans and everything is cooked together. The peeled potatoes are boiled separately in salted water or cooked together with the rest of the stew.NDR.de: Towards the end of the overall cooking time of about 50 minutes, some flour is mixed with water, poured into the pot and briefly boiled up. Typical quantities for four people are: *750 g beans *500 g pears *400 g bacon *500 g potatoes *1 sprig of savory *2 tbsp of flour Each person is served one or two pears, a good portion of bacon, beans and potatoes and broth according to preference. A fresh
beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
goes well with the dish. There are variations that do away with the savory, but add freshly chopped parsley towards the end, which use
broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups ...
instead of water for cooking (ready-made or home-made) or which use pepper.


See also

* * List of stews


References


External links


''Birnen, Bohnen und Speck or My German Genes''


{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224083349/http://www.marions-kochbuch.com/recipe/0129.htm , date=2013-12-24 North German cuisine German stews Pear dishes Legume dishes Bacon dishes ksh:Fitschbunne