Korean Style Green Beans
- Yield Serves 4
These beans are a little bit spicy, but can be adjusted to suit your taste by either increasing or decreasing the amount of red chili flakes. The white vinegar is the closest supermarket option in colour and taste to Korean vinegar – crisp, clean, and tangy. Rice vinegar is acceptable in a pinch.
Ingredients
Directions
1. Cut the stem end from the beans. Smaller beans can be left whole, and larger beans can be cut in half. Place in a bowl.
2. Have all the ingredients prepped and measured into bowls or ramekins before you start cooking.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of the oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add the prepared beans and the salt, and cook, stirring, for at least a minute. Cover the pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until beans are browned in spots and crisp-tender. You may need to turn down the heat as time goes on, and you will probably need to add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to prevent burning and speed the cooking process. This will depend on the size of your pan and the strength of your stove.
4. Once the beans are browned in spots and crisp-tender, clear a spot in the middle of the skillet, add the second tablespoon of oil and then add the chili flakes and garlic to this oil. Sauté until fragrant, about 10 seconds, and then stir everything well to incorporate the garlic and chili flakes evenly with the beans. Make sure everything is well-mixed and the beans are coated with fragrant garlic. This will take about a minute.
5. Now add the soy sauce and white vinegar. It should sizzle on contact. Stir fry for one more minute to incorporate evenly with the green beans. Taste a bean and add more soy sauce (salty taste) or vinegar (tangy taste) as you desire. Serve beans immediately.
