Pears, Beans, and Bacon: Birnen, Bohnen, und Speck (from Bremen)

Bring a touch of northern Germany to your kitchen with this authentic Pears, Beans, and Bacon recipe. Traditionally made at the end of summer and into autumn, this delightfully sweet and savory dish combines the sweetness of juicy pears, the earthy flavor of fresh green beans, and the smokiness of bacon. Yum!

This traditional dish is particularly popular in Bremen, as well as in other northern regions such as Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein. The exact origin of this recipe is unknown, but just like most German recipes, it was created out of fresh local and seasonal ingredients and passed down from generation to generation.

The making of Birnen, Bohnen, und Speck coincides with the pear harvest in late August and takes full advantage of the green bean harvest that occurs from about June to September. It is traditionally served with boiled potatoes.

How to make this Pears, Beans, and Bacon recipe

If this is your first time making this dish, prepare yourself for a burst of flavors with every bite!

Now, to get started, take 1¼ pounds of smoked slab bacon and cut it into 5 pieces. Take 4 of those pieces and place them in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or deep skillet. Cover with 4 cups of cold beef broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Now add 1 pound of fresh green beans (ends trimmed and broken in half, or cut into 2-inch pieces), 4 small whole pears with stems (see the recipe card below for other options), and 1 teaspoon of dried summer savory. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the bacon, green beans, and pears are simmering, dice the remaining piece of bacon.

Sauté the diced bacon and ½ cup of chopped onions in another skillet until the bacon has rendered its fat and the onions have caramelized a little, and set aside. If you wish, you can transfer the bacon and onions to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess rendered bacon fat.

When you're ready to serve, transfer the bacon, beans, and pears with a slotted spoon to a serving dish.

Make a cornstarch slurry by combining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the simmering cooking liquid to thicken it. Season the sauce with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour some sauce over the pears, green beans, and bacon, sprinkle with the sautéed bacon and onions, and garnish with fresh parsley. Put the rest of the sauce in a bowl to serve alongside.

Serve as a main course or side dish along with boiled potatoes and enjoy!

Variations of Birnen, Bohnen und Speck

There are probably as many variations as there are German families. A great thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile.

You can easily vary the amount of bacon, beans, and pears according to your liking. More of a bacon lover? Heap it on! Prefer the sweetness of ripe pears or the crispy texture of fresh green beans? Go ahead and add more.

Variations can also include using or adding any of the following:

• water or broth
• sugar or honey
• lemon juice
• apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• lemon peel
• fresh thyme
• onion powder

While there may be arguments over whether you must or mustn't keep the pear stems and whether you must or mustn't peel the pears, the only thing that really matters is that the dish consists of the three main ingredients: pears, green beans, and bacon. However, variations also include using Kasseler (German smoked pork) or smoked sausage instead of bacon.

I confess, I often like to replace half or most of the bacon with smoked sausage, just like I did in the photo above!

Basically, what it all boils down to is that you can create your own traditional recipe, just the way you like it. That's the best way to make this Pears, Beans, and Bacon recipe!

More recipes from Bremen

Want more great recipes from this part of Germany? Check out the following recipes:

• Herring Salad with Cream
• Potato and Cabbage Soup
• Rote Grütze (Fruit Pudding)

Now, time to make this wunderbar dish!!

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