Spicy Garlic Green Beans

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Spicy Garlic Green Beans

Ingredient Notes

Gochugaru:

Korean coarse-ground red pepper. It’s less intensely hot than regular chilli flakes and has a slightly fruity, smoky quality that you can’t quite replicate with standard chilli powder. If you can’t find it, use a smaller quantity of mild chilli powder mixed with a pinch of smoked paprika.

Lard:

My preferred fat for high-heat stir-frying because of its high smoke point and the subtle savouriness it adds to the dish. Peanut oil or vegetable oil are the best substitutes.

Sesame oil:

Added with the sauce at the end of cooking, not at the start. Sesame oil has a lower smoke point than most fats and loses its characteristic nutty flavour quickly at high heat. Adding it late preserves that toasted sesame flavour in the finished dish.

Ingredients

500g green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp lard
6 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Gochugaru (Korean chilli powder), coarse
1 tsp honey

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Large saucepan
Colander
Bowl (for ice bath)
Large frying pan or wok
Tongs or wooden spoon

Directions

Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and refresh in cold water.
Heat lard in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beans, cook for 1-2 mins, until starting to brown.
Reduce heat to medium low, then stir in garlic, soy, sesame oil, Gochugaru and honey.
Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.

Notes

Chef Tips

Don’t skip the ice bath

After blanching, transfer the beans straight into cold water or an ice bath. This stops the cooking immediately and keeps the colour bright green. Left in a colander, residual heat will continue cooking them and they’ll turn dull and soft before they even hit the pan.

Add garlic and sauce off the highest heat

Garlic burns fast at stir-fry temperatures. After the initial high-heat cook, reduce to medium-low before adding the garlic and sauce. The residual heat from the pan and the short simmer that follows is enough to cook the garlic through without it catching and turning bitter.

Storage

Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Banchan is typically served at room temperature, so no need to reheat. Makes a good addition to a meal-prepped bento box or rice bowl through the week.

FAQs

Can I use a different oil instead of lard?

Yes. Peanut oil or vegetable oil both work well and have high enough smoke points for stir-frying. Avoid olive oil here as it isn’t suitable for the heat level this dish needs.

How spicy is this dish?

It has a gentle warmth from the gochugaru, but nothing aggressive. Gochugaru is milder than regular chilli flakes by nature. If you’re heat-sensitive, start with half a teaspoon and taste the sauce before adding more.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, and it’s actually a good dish to make ahead. Banchan is traditionally served at room temperature, so prep it a few hours before you need it or even the day before. Store in the fridge and pull it out 20 minutes before serving.