How to Grill Green Beans

Most green bean recipes call for either boiling, steaming or stir frying the pods-cooking processes that often cause the beans to turn limp or mushy. Grilling green beans might be an unusual way to prepare them, but it yields superb results: pods that are tender with a nice, smoky flavor. Grilled beans are also perfect for hurried weeknight suppers, because they are quick and easy to prepare-especially if you have a gas grill. Here are some tips for grilling green beans.

Instructions

1. Snap off the tips and stems of each bean and remove any strings. Wash the pods, shake off excess water and place them in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the beans, sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper and toss to coat.

2. Grill the beans over a medium flame on a gas grill. If using a charcoal grill, place the beans in the middle of the grill over briquettes that are medium-hot (you should be able to hold your hand a couple of inches above the grill for about 5 seconds and the briquettes should be completely covered in ash).

3. Be sure to lay the beans crosswise across the grill's grate to prevent them from falling through. Or, you can completely prevent losing beans through the grate by loading them into a vegetable grilling basket. Place the lid over the grill and let the beans cook. Stir the beans every few minutes (or flip over the basket) to make sure they cook evenly and don't burn.

4. Remove from the grill when the beans are tender crisp (about 8 to 10 minutes) and charred in a few places.

Tips & Warnings

• Grilled beans make great finger food. Serve them with a dipping sauce.

Resources

• DigginFood