Copycat Outback Steakhouse Steamed Green Beans - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to infuse flavor into green beans? ›

Soy sauce is one of the easiest answers to how to flavor green beans. You can throw in some of this soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and garlic and pan fry until glassy and green and you may never want to eat green beans any other way again.

The beans change slightly across different varieties – yellow or wax beans have an ever so slightly milder flavour and are a beautiful pastel yellow colour, French beans or haricot vert are a finer, less stringy version, and the yard-long bean (aka snake bean or Chinese long bean) are, you guessed it, a longer variety.

Runner beans have been growing in South America for over 2000 years and are a popular garden vegetable in Britain too. Stronger in flavour and coarser in texture than green beans, they are also much longer and have attractive purple beans inside the pods.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

French green beans, also called Haricots Verts, tend to be smaller, more tender, and quicker to cook. Their seeds are so small that they're almost unnoticeable. For these reasons, French green beans are generally considered the best green beans to buy, and they're priced accordingly.

Just prior to using the green beans, wash them under running water. Remove both ends of the beans by either snapping them off or cutting them with a knife. If you are snapping the ends off, pull the end down the side of the bean to remove any possible string.

The only part of the bean that always needs to be removed is the tip of the stem end (this is sometimes called "topping" the bean), where the pod was once attached to the rest of the plant. There is no practical need to remove the tail end of a green bean—the choice to do so is aesthetic.

Steaming is a simple way to cook vegetables, and it leaves the flavor and much of the nutrients intact. It's slightly healthier than boiling since fewer nutrients end up in the water. Plus, steaming requires little time and attention. A steamer basket is a great kitchen tool to have on hand.

Some people (especially food service establishments relying upon your satisfaction) add an alkaline ingredient, such as baking soda, to the cooking water to help retain the color of green vegetables.

Why are my steamed green beans tough? ›

It's “hard to cook,” HTC beans, for short. It is usually a problem with beans that have been stored for a long time, or which have not been stored in ideal conditions (too hot, etc.), most often because of their age, so most simply call it 'old beans.

America's favorite bean is pinto beans, according to the U.S. Dry Beans Council, often used to make refried beans. Navy beans, Great Northern beans, red kidney beans and black beans round out the rest of the top five.

Long Beans are an ancient vegetable, with wild varieties of these plants still growing in tropical Africa, where they were likely introduced from Southeast Asia. The long bean is also known as the long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean.

Also known as 'Kenya Bean', 'Bobby Bean' or 'Fine Bean'. This early maturing bush type bean produces lots of 10cm long skinny round, string less, dark green pods with an excellent flavour.

Heat Butter in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and 1/4 cup water to the pan and cook over medium heat 10-14 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the beans are tender. Finish & Season. Sprinkle the beans with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir until evenly coated.

Infusing is basically steeping one ingredient—for example herbs, spices, or fruit—in another—for example water, milk, or alcohol—in order to flavor the latter with the former. So when you steep a tea bag in hot water, you're infusing.

Overnight Soaking

To soak beans the traditional way, cover them with water by 2 inches, add 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

Extracts and Liquors

Natural extracts or a splash of liquor like vanilla, almond, or brandy can enrich your coffee. Dab a little on the beans and allow them to absorb the essence.