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Green bean stew is a firm family favorite not only in my home but in kitchens all over South Africa. It is comfort food at its best and just the kind of food for this time of the year when the temperature starts dropping.
In summer when green beans are young and tender, I would never dream of using it in a stew. My favorite way of eating beans in summer is in this simple Green Bean Salad.  However, if you freeze some of your crop, there are few meals as belly-warming and comforting as a bowl of green bean stew.

Green beans are so easy to grow, requires very little space and the  "magic" of green beans, is that the more you pick, the more you get. If you want to learn more about growing beans, this is where you will find the know-how!
Back to my green bean stew. Ideally, you want quite a fatty meat for this stew. Lamb and specifically lamb ribs, knuckles or neck cutlets are our choices of meat to use. The flavor you get from the lamb, combined with potatoes, onions and the luscious green beans is hard to beat. You can cook this stew in a pot on the stove or even a slow cooker, but I use my Dutch Oven or black pot in the oven . It saves time and the flavor, in my opinion is just better. Traditionally in my family, we enjoy green bean stew with fresh cucumber salad, beetroot salad and fluffy white rice. So, if you want to try your hand at this true South African favorite, cook with me!
Green Bean Stew

1 kg lamb - knuckles, neck or rib cutlets
2 medium onions - chopped
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 tsp dry coriander

250ml mutton stock
5 large potatoes - cut in big chunks
1 kg frozen of fresh beans - trimmed and cut
salt/pepper
juice of 1 lemon
cooking oil

Preheat the oven to 180C. Season the meat with the dry spices, salt and pepper. Heat the Dutch oven on the stove and add the oil. Brown the meat on all sides, add the chopped onion, garlic and stock.Cover the pot with the lid and cook for 1 - 11/2 hours. Check halfway through the cooking time and if it needs more stock or water, add a little. After this time in the oven, you can add the potatoes and the green beans. Add a little salt for the vegetables. Place back in the oven and cook for another 40min. Take the pot from the oven and finish the stew off on the stove top. If there is too much liquid left, cook for a while with the lid off. Take a potato masher and mash some of the potatoes to "bind" the stew. I like to keep some potatoes whole. Add the lemon juice and lots of black pepper and voila your delicious Green Bean Stew is ready.