Garlicky Braised Beans with Jamon

Vegetables cooked al dente may be fashionable and pretty to look at, but often they can’t compare to the sweet, fully realized flavor of vegetables slowly cooked. Green beans, parboiled and gently braised with garlic and smoky bits of jamón, are pretty fundamental to Spanish cooking. They’re eaten more often than not as a first course or even as a light meal—fantastic topped with a fried egg! If you can find them, Italian flat beans would actually be a more authentic choice here.