Country Green Beans

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans green beans (with juice, or 1 lb fresh green beans with enough water to just cover)
2 -4 slices bacon, ripped into natural pieces
1/2 tablespoon pepper sauce (Texas Pete, tabasco vinegar)
1/2-1 tablespoon salt (or to desired taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup white onion (optional)

1 Grab a good sized pot.
2 Set the heat on the stove to medium high.
3 Cook the bacon in the pot until brown, but not crunchy (include onion in this step cooked until translucent if desired).
4 Add canned beans with juice to pot, making sure to stir the bacon and its juices into liquid.
5 Add pepper sauce, salt, and pepper to pot.
6 Leave on medium-high heat, uncovered, until beans and liquid come to a slight boil.
7 When a boil is achieved, stir, turn the heat down to medium-low and cover (adjust the heat so the beans are just about boiling with the cover on but not boiling out of the pot).
8 Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10-20 minutes.
9 Add more spices if desired (take a taste test every now and then).
10 For fresh beans, before cooking as directed above, boil beans in enough water to cover 1 teaspoon salt for 5 minutes (I feel this helps get rid of the strange taste some fresh green beans have).
11 Drain.
12 Add fresh green beans to recipe as indicated, but add enough water to cover once more.