DRY-FRIED STRING BEANS (Chinese style)
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 lbs. string beans
  • 1 c. vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves of smashed garlic
  • 1/2 lb. ground lean pork
  • Giner(optional), chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt(I prefer sea salt)
  • 1 tbsp. dry sherry
DIRECTIONS
  1. Wash the beans under running water and cut or pinch off the tips of the beans from both ends. Snap the beans in half if they are very long. Dry the beans well on paper towels.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet until it smokes. Add the beans and cook over high heat. Cook beans until wrinkled and lightly browned through, which will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain them in a colander and set aside.
  3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. Add the garlic, ground pork and peppers and stir over high heat, breaking up the lumps, until the pork is cooked and no pink shows, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir until well mixed. Put the string beans back into the pan, add the sugar, salt, wine and stir until well mixed, about 1 minute
RECIPE BACKSTORY
I used to love to pick these beans out at the Farmer's Market with my mom, bring them home and snap them in half for cooking. You can tell if the beans are fresh if they snap easily. Ocassionally a bean pod will pop out while I am snapping them and I would gladly pop it in my mouth