Crack Green Beans
My kids don't eat vegetables. Except these. They call them "the green candy things." I'll take the win.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds green beans 680g; thaw and pat dry first; fresh is best, frozen works in a pinch
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes optional — Kasia's version always has them
Method
Cook the Bacon
- In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy — about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave ALL the bacon fat in the skillet. That fat is liquid gold. It's the flavour base for everything that happens next, and throwing it away would be a food crime I'm not willing to commit.
Cook the Green Beans
- Add the butter to the bacon fat in the skillet. Yes, butter AND bacon fat. This is not a health food recipe. This is a "get kids to eat green beans" recipe, and extreme measures are justified. When the butter melts, add the green beans. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're tender-crisp — bright green with some charred spots. The charring is good. Those blackened edges are where flavour concentrates.
Add the Crack Sauce
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together. The brown sugar will melt into the butter and bacon fat, creating a glossy, sweet-savoury glaze that coats every bean. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the glaze thickens and clings. Toss the crispy bacon back in. Stir. Taste. Try not to eat the whole skillet before it reaches the table.