Slow Cooker Green Beans

I've been asked, begged, and even TOLD to make a post with my recipe for real, authentic, Southern green beans. While I have no written exact measurments I'm going to put up a general how to on making them so you can all sort of make it your own. :)

roughly 1lbs Fresh green beans with the ends trimmed off (I snap em off by hand and it may be a down right pain in your rear end as it's time consuming but it's worth the effort TRUST ME!!!)

1 large smoked ham hock (not a regular neck bone, not a hunk of smoked ham, just a large smoked ham hock...trust me on this one)

about 1/2 a package of salt pork (now this is tricky...some say use fat back some say to use just bacon but I personally feel neither are perfect. Fat back is too...well fatty! Bacon doesn't have enough fat. Salt pork is just right. There's meat on it AND fat so it's perfect)

about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Don't use white, red wine, just use Apple Cider.

Salt and pepper to taste

1tbsp minced garlic

How to do it:
You'll want to clean the green beans and as stated above snip the ends off of them. Place your ham hock and salt pork in the crock pot first. Lay your green beans over the top. I then like to take the vinegar, salt, garlic, and pepper and mix it in a measuring cup with about 2 cups of water. Then pour it over the green beans. You'll then want to fill the crock pot with enough water to cover the green beans. I do the mixing before adding because it gets difficult to stir the green beans when they are raw and everything's in the pot together. I then cover it and cook it on high for 3 hours. I then turn the crock pot to low and allow it to simmer for roughly 6-8 hours until the green beans are nice and tender. Once the beans are done remove the ham hock with a slotted spoon and any bones from it.

Now I personally prefer to leave the salt pork in there because it gives you like this little tasty surprise of meat mixed in with the beans. If you prefer you can remove them when you take out the ham hock. It's personal preference. :)