Sichuan Green Beans

I first became obsessed with green beans done Sichuan style when I had them for the first time in Chinatown, NYC. A friend of a friend recommended that we order them and they were a.m.a.z.i.n.g! I came straight home and tried to find a recipe. This recipe isn't the exact same as the dish I had in Chinatown, but they are pretty close.

Cooking note: Be careful not to overcook the beans. You want crisp and not mushy beans.

Sauce:

4 Tbs water

4 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs cooking sherry

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl and set aside for the moment.

Beans:

2 Tbs olive oil

2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed

1/2 pound ground pork

6 med garlic cloves mined

2 Tbs minced fresh ginger

6 scallions green parts only sliced thin

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until shimmering. Add the beans and cook until the beans are slightly browned/blackened on medium-high heat. Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

But wait wait don't turn off the heat! Add the ground pork to the skillet and break it up while it is cooking until it is completely browned. Make a little hole in the middle and add the garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute. Re-stir the sauce to recombine and add the sauce to the frying pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Off the heat, stir the contents of the skillet into the bowl with the green beans. Toss the beans, pork, etc. with the scallions and the sesame oil and serve immediately.

Even if you don't particularly like green beans I promise you will like this dish!