You know those amazing green beans that you can find on most Chinese buffets anywhere you go? The ones that are slightly crunchy yet fully cooked with a light sauce that is out of this world? Well, those are my faves. I make a bee line straight to the beans every time I go and pile them sky high til they are falling off my plate on the walk back to my table.
I haven't always loved them so. In fact, it was my sister-in-law, Joicey Poo, who introduced them to me for the first time many many years ago. All three of us Holden girl wives went on a little weekend retreat to a women's conference with our mother in law and my mom. Now, I have always loved Joice from the start but two things made me wonder about her that weekend. First, she went on this retreat on her way home from her honeymoon! She hadn't even been home yet and she piled in with us…all the women in her new family she inherited 5 days earlier…and off we went 4 hours away for 2 nights. And secondly ….when we went out to eat that night for Chinese, out of all the yummy deep fried stuff covered in amazing sauces she comes back with a plate full of green beans. Green beans!?? I couldn't imagine? She chose green beans over sweet and sour chicken?
Well ironically, years later when I finally tried them myself when I was on a diet and needed to cut back on the fried biscuits dipped in sugar, I discovered what Joicey-Poo has known all along. Those green beans are the bomb diggity. I can't get enough of them when I go. (those and the coconut macaroons but lets not talk about those.) So this started my quest in trying to figure out how to make them at home. And I'm happy to say that Nick finally figured it out for me and now I'm gonna share this happy news with y'all.
First you got to start off with fresh green beans.
This is a must if you want them perfectly cooked yet still slightly crunchy.
I recommend cutting the tips off the beans but you don't have to.
I didn't in these pics but have started doing that the last several times I cooked them.
Now…hold on to your black yoga pants.
Here are the secret ingredients to that light sauce that makes them taste sooo good.
Oyster sauce and honey.
Now don't tune out if you think the word oyster is just disgusting and that any kind of sauce made from it must be from the devil. I'm telling you, it's good stuff. It doesn't taste like you're eating oysters. I'm not a huge oyster fan myself but love cooking with this stuff. It's just a super rich and wonderful flavor that you need to have in your life. We have begun to use in a lot of our dishes. And when you add the honey, the two flavors come together perfectly.
Now I'm not a measurer when I'm cooking. I just do it by taste and looks. This is why I don't put recipes on here much. I realize that frustrates some of you. It does my girls too and that's why they now call their daddy when they want a recipe because he's so good with details. Me, not so much.
I start with some olive oil. It barely covers the bottom of the pan…like just enough to coat the beans when I toss them around. (sometimes I use a little sesame oil with it but it's not necessary if you don't already have any) I mince two toes of garlic and throw that in there with the green beans. I stir them and add salt and a little garlic powder. ( we like garlic)
After they have cooked for a few minutes and start to lose that raw bean taste. ( you will have to sample a few as you cook), then I drizzle the oyster sauce and honey. I have no idea how much to tell you. Drizzle enough that all the beans are covered once you stir them up. More oyster sauce than honey.
Now just keep stirring these on med to high heat until the beans are the right texture for you.
Some people like them crispy. Some like them cooked down a little more.
Then serve them up while they are nice and hot.
I can honestly say I've almost eaten my weight in these beans.
Which is better than the Flaming Hot Cheetos that I used to consume in the same matter.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend.
FAQs
Take Temperatures
Hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 °F or warmer. Use a food thermometer to check.
What must green beans cooked for hot holding on a buffet? ›
Green beans cooked for hot holding on a buffet must reach an internal temperature that ensures they are safe for consumption. To maintain food safety, cooked vegetables like green beans should be held at a temperature above 140°F to prevent the growth of bacteria.
What is the Chinese dish green beans called? ›
Gan bian si ji dou—Sichuan-style dry-fried green beans with chiles and pickles—are one of the best and most mistranslated vegetable dishes in the world.
What is green bean in Chinese traditional? ›
We call green beans 四季豆, which means four season bean or year bean! It's the most common name for this bean in the southern region of China.
Should you rinse canned green beans before cooking? ›
For that reason, most of the BHG's test kitchen recipes call for draining and rinsing canned beans, which can also help remove the metallic flavor sometimes found in cans. It's an added step that takes less than a minute but improves the flavor and texture of your dish.
How long should food be allowed to stand on a buffet? ›
Most food needing to be chilled, such as sandwich fillings and cold meats, should be left out of the fridge for the shortest time possible and not more than four hours.
How much green beans do I need for 50 guests? ›
For 50, ¼ cup servings, you need 4.5 pounds of fresh, untrimmed green beans. un l chilled. crisp/tender, then drain, season and enjoy! Batch cook green beans in a commercial steamer for 3-5 minutes.
How do you keep green beans warm after cooking? ›
For hot vegetables, sauces, stews, and soups, a slow cooker or chafing dish may be used on the low setting to keep the food warm. Similar to an oven, if you plan to store foods for longer than an hour, you may notice a change in texture or taste.
Why are my canned green beans stringy? ›
One reason beans are fibrous, tough, and stringy may simply be that they are picked past their prime. Pod diameter, NOT length is the best indicator for harvesting beans, and freshness can be confirmed by an audible snap when the bean is broken.
What beans do Chinese use? ›
Just as Indian vegetarian food depends a lot on lentils and pulses, the Chinese pantry cannot do without beans. Red beans, green beans, soybeans, black beans, speckled beans - even beans with "eyebrows". We eat these so often they have become forgotten, part of the background of everyday home-cooked food.
Chinese long beans (also called Chinese green beans, yard-long beans, and chopstick beans) are a staple vegetable in much of Southeastern Asia. While they can be eaten raw, they're often thrown in stir-fries, curries, and omelettes.
What are the clear beans in Chinese food? ›
Glass/cellophane noodles (Chinese: 粉丝; pinyin: fěnsī; literally: 'Flour Thread') a.k.a. 'bean thread noodles' — because they are made from mung bean/green pea starch; the noodles are used in Asian soups, hot pots, stir-fried dishes, spring rolls. Mung beans are closely related to peas and lentils.
What are the little green vegetables that Chinese people eat? ›
Now, on to the glossary and list!
- Bok Choy (白菜)
- Shanghai Bok Choy (上海白菜)
- Dwarf Bok Choy (奶油白菜)
- Chinese Choy Sum (菜心) or Yu Choy（油菜）
- Chinese Water Spinach（空心菜）
- Chinese Spinach or Amaranth (苋菜)
- Chinese Napa Cabbage (大白菜)
- Taiwanese Cabbage.
Asian greens and Chinese greens are leafy green vegetables commonly used in Chinese cuisine. These include various vegetables such as bok choy, choy sum, mustard greens, kale, Chinese cabbage, water spinach, chrysanthemum leaves, lotus root, mung bean sprouts and snow bean sprouts (dau miu).
What are the different types of Chinese green beans? ›
Chinese Beans (Yard-long, Adzuka, or Fava beans)
Description - Yard-long (Asparagus bean), Vigna sesquipedalis pods may be 10-20 inches long but customers prefer them 10-12 inches in length and pencil-size. There are two kinds, red seeded and black seeded. The black seeded is preferred.
What temperature do green beans need? ›
Green beans are a warm season crop that can be planted as soon as the danger of frost has passed in the spring. Green beans grow best when air temperatures range from 65°F to 85°F. Soil temperatures should be at least 55°F for good seed germination.
What temperature should buffet food be served at? ›
Reheat hot foods to 165°F. Hot foods should be held at 140°F or warmer. On the buffet table, keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40°F or colder.
What temperature should beans be held at? ›
Minimum internal temperature of 135℉ (57℃) applies to: Commercially processed, ready-to-eat-food that will be hot-held for service (cheese sticks, deep-fried vegetables). Fruit, vegetables, grains (rice, pasta), and legumes (beans, refried beans) that will be hot-held for service.
What must vegetables for a buffet be heated to? ›
Vegetables for a buffet must be heated to 140 °F or warmer before they are placed in hot-holding equipment. Hot dishes are kept at the proper presentation and food-safe storage temperatures for a long time with the help of hot holding devices.
