If you are like me, I feel like 90% of my purchases come from targeted Instagram ads at this point. My favorite thus far being the Sichuan Chili Crisp from FLY BY JING (although I haven’t tried the Momofuku version yet) . I could go on for days how often I use this sauce now, but for the sake of brevity, let’s focus on today’s recipe. Sautéed String Beans are ALWAYS on our Chinese food order, and this is undoubtedly the simplest way to re-create this salty, spicy speciality.
SHOPPING LIST: 1 lb. string beans (snipped ends), Chili Crisp, grapeseed oil, chopped garlic, soy sauce, salt, pepper
Let’s make sure of two things before we begin. Make sure the ends of your string beans are cleaned and that whatever pan you are using has a LID. The key to the perfect string bean is a combination of searing and steaming.
In a bowl, top the clean green beans with 3 heaping tB. of Chili Crisp. Use your hands to really get in and massage the string beans. In a saucepan, get about 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil going over medium high heat. Add 2 tB. of chopped garlic and when your garlic starts to get golden, add all of the green beans, using a spatula to get all of the chili crisp out of the bowl. Once you spread the green beans out in your pan, give them a few minutes to really sit and sear against the pan. Season with salt and pepper and give them another quick toss, again letting the green beans sear for a few more minutes un-interrupted.
Now for the steaming, have your lid ready and add 1/2 cup of soy sauce and quickly cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the string beans to finish cooking the steam for another 7 or so minutes or until the string beans are fork tender.
Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. If you prefer your string beans even spicier, you can always add an extra drizzle of Chili Crisp on top.
The Kitchen Koach 