As you might guess, with Charred Asian Green Beans the char is quite important. I have a carbon steel wok that I’m still in the process of seasoning, so I wasn’t sure if this dish would work, but I tried it, and the beans were beautifully charred. Fresh green beans out of the garden, sautéed in a hot pan with very little oil. Should I even call this process a sauté? It’s more of a dry fry. I’m not a patient or even a confident cook, so leaving the beans alone in the pan without bothering them, is challenging for me. But they didn’t stick to the pan and they didn’t burn! I stirred, but not often.
The char adds a smokiness that is a distinct element of this dish. Then there are the Asian flavors. Garlic, but no ginger. The sauce is a simple mixture of oyster sauce, which brings umami and silkiness, and tamari, which brings more umami and saltiness. Sesame oil and sugar tame the sauce and unite the flavors into something that green beans love. Thin green beans that are picked before they begin to really swell are the best because they’re not only bathed in the sauce, they absorb all of that flavor.
Charred Asian Green Beans is another one of those seasonal dishes that I only make when green beans are coming out of the garden. Sometimes it’s a really short season, only a few weeks, before they’re devoured by insects. But the last couple of years the beans have continued to produce until the first frost. Fingers crossed that will be the case this year, and if it is, I’ll be making Charred Asian Green Beans on repeat until then.
Charred Asian Green Beans
Ingredients
BEANS
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 2 cloves garlic
SAUCE
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 2 T tamari (gluten-free)
- 3 T sesame oil
- 1 T brown sugar
- ¼ t red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep the beans and garlic – Snap the ends off of the beans and trim any imperfections. Peel and smash the garlic.
- Make the sauce – Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.
- Cook the beans and garlic – Heat a small amount of oil in your skillet, with the smashed garlic, stirring often to infuse – about a minute or so. Add the green beans and cook for about 10 – 12 minutes, until the beans are bright green, crisp-tender, and charred in places. Stir only occasionally while you're cooking the beans – you do want them to be evenly cooked, but you want to give them a chance to develop that char.
- Add the sauce – Pour in the sauce and stir to coat the beans. Warm through for about 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
