Loving the parts without sum success

My criteria for judging whether my husband and I will like a new dish is pretty simple: do we like all of its ingredients?

Most of the time this is spoton. But every once in a while, I come across a recipe that I’m sure we’ll both love, only to make it and discover I was wrong. Well, about the we part, anyway.

That was the case with this Korean-inspired-but-not-inany-shape-or-form-authentic beef dish. I loved it. My husband did not. He didn’t even like it. Why not is a mystery because he likes all of its components. He’s eaten — and enjoyed — dishes with all of these ingredients combined before. But not this time.

I thought it was delicious — spicy, sweet, cooling, crunchy, beefy. It has almost everything going for it. It’s equally good made with pork. And though I haven’t tried it with ground chicken or turkey, I bet those would be great, too.

Even the leftovers were good — cold from the fridge, stuffed into lettuce leaves and topped with dry roasted peanuts.

Sweet and Spicy Beef Bowl

cup lightly packed light

brown sugar 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium

soy sauce 2 tablespoons water 3 small cloves garlic, minced and mashed into a paste OR 1½ teaspoons garlic paste 2 teaspoons sesame oil OR stir-fry oil teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste to teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 pound lean ground beef 2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided Sesame seeds, for garnish Hot cooked rice, for serving 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1 cup matchstick-cut cucumber Small handful fresh mint

leaves Small handful fresh cilantro together leavesIn a smallthe brownbowl, whisk sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger; set aside. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until well browned. Drain. Return to skillet and stir in brown sugar mixture and green onion whites and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and coats meat. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion tops. Serve over rice topped with carrots, cucumbers and fresh herbs. Makes 4 servings. Recipe adapted from damndelicious.net