Spicy Szechuan Green Beans

When I managed the Extreme Team at Adobe I used to take the guys to lunch every Thursday - we so consistently went to the same place that it was known as “Mike's Chinese”. They had like a dozen lunch specials - one was spicy Szechuan green beans. I had that every Thursday for a year or so. This is pretty close - it would be spot on if the sauce was just a tiny bit thicker/stickier - more sugar? maybe a touch of cornstarch?

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/247349/spicy-szechuan-green-beans/

• ½ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Combine green beans and water in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and sesame oil; cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Pour over beans and cook until sauce thickens enough to coat beans, 3 to 5 minutes.

originally submitted by mike on Sep 14, 2020