To prove how much of a staple this meal is, look at the recipe card! It is a mess. You can still make out my mom's impeccable handwriting though. Beware: I don't perfectly follow this recipe - well really I just double the amount of beef! Everything else stays about the same.
First put some rice on to cook. I don't know what proportion of rice you like to the stuff on top, but I like quite a bit. So for the two of us and leftovers I make 1 1/2 cups of rice. I am not including a recipe for rice because that would assume that whomever reads this is stupid. Check your rice package.
Have a helpful assistant (or yourself) cut off the ends of the string beans and then cut them into pieces. You can make them as small or large as you want. Here's how we do it in the Hodgman household:
Ok I lied that does NOT show you the size, but I cut them into about 1/2s of thirds or fourths if they are really big. Notice the AMAZING new Shun knife that Tom is carefully using. Really... they are worth the investment.
When your string beans are cut up put them in a bowl - you will need it for later.
Get a bowl and make the sauce. Dump in 1/3 cup of broth - I don't know why it says it should be warmed, I think that is ridiculous, one heaping Tablespoon of soy sauce, one heaping teaspoon of cider vinegar, one heaping teaspoon of sherry, and two teaspoons of cornstarch (to thicken it up). The heaping amounts should only be if you choose to double the beef. If you like skimpy amounts of beef then don't heap the liquids! Mix this all up with a whisk making sure to incorporate the cornstarch in. You'll need to stir this again later, but now you can just leave it.
Heat a frying pan over HIGH heat for however long it takes for it to get hot. The recipe says 30 seconds but currently we have an insanely slow electric stove. 30 seconds is good on a gas stove for sure. Put in some canola/vegetable oil - I'd say about 1-2 Tablespoons (2T) and swirl it around. Dump in the green beans and maybe turn the heat to JUST below high. Stir and let them sizzle. Don't burn them, but the sizzle is a good sign. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes. Then dump them out of the pan into the bowl and put to the side.
Now it is here that the recipe unwisely tells you to add garlic and ginger to the pan. If you do that (as I have done countless times) you will burn the crap out of the ginger and garlic, and it will spit and burn the crap out of you. Take the pan off the heat for a little bit if electric.....if you have gas just turn it the HECK down and let it cool down. When it is somewhat cooler and you feel safe, add a little more oil to the pan (I always need a little more) and add the garlic - 2 teaspoons (2t) and the ginger. I add way more ginger than it calls for. I probably do 2T instead of 2t. I like ginger. I use the pre-bottled kind because I got sick of peeling the ginger and having it be all stringy and nasty.
Ok so stir the garlic and ginger for maybe 30 seconds to get some flavor out. Sometimes I don't even add them first - I just add the meat and garlic and ginger at the same time. I do not think there is a big difference - so you choose. Now dump in your meat. Then add in a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Once again add as much as the amount of spice that you want. Like I said before I like to add 1 pound of meat instead of 1/2 a pound. This is where you veggie-only eaters could add tempeh or some other fake "I taste like meat" substance. Stir the stuff until the meat cooks through. Then very carefully spoon off the grease. I like to pour it into a glass jar that is now empty (veering off from this idea, I find it sad that only small things come in glass jars. I still have fond memories of the old Hellman's glass jars being reused by my parents. Isn't plastic worse than glass? Or is just that it's cheaper?) There will be varying amounts of fat depending on what meat you bought. Spoon off as much as you can.
Now at this point hopefully your rice is done!
Re-whisk the sauce and dump it into the beef/ginger/garlic/red pepper flakes mixture. Stir and turn the heat up a bit. When it starts to thicken (30 seconds) then add the string beans and stir them up so they can get warm again. Serve over the rice. Ta-da.
I'd say it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish (including prep time). This serves 2 people with enough leftovers for one big lunch or two small lunches (I am basing that on the way Tom and I eat). I have made it to feed 4 people, but I feel like that is stretching it a bit. I'd say 3 normal eating people and maybe an anorexic friend too.... but not 4 normal people.
