Szechuan Green Beans with Pork with Steamed Basmati Rice

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Ingredients (Mise en Place). This dish cooks quickly, so have everything ready. Wash the green beans, trim the ends, and pat them completely dry with a clean towel. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar; set aside. If using whole Szechuan peppercorns, toast them in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then grind into a powder.

2. 2

   Flash-Fry the Green Beans. Heat 1 cup of neutral oil in a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches about 350°F (175°C). Carefully add half of the green beans to the hot oil. Fry for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the skins are wrinkled and lightly blistered. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining beans.

3. 3

   Cook Pork and Aromatics. Carefully pour out the hot oil into a heatproof container, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok. Return the wok to medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and stir-fry, breaking it up with a spatula, until it's browned and slightly crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Push the pork to one side. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the scallions to the empty side and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. 4

   Build the Sauce. Add the doubanjiang to the aromatics and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it's fragrant and the oil turns red. Then, mix everything together with the pork until well-coated.

5. 5

   Combine and Finish. Return the fried green beans to the wok. Pour in the prepared soy sauce mixture and sprinkle with the ground Szechuan peppercorns and salt. Toss everything together quickly over high heat for 1-2 minutes to ensure the beans are heated through and coated in the sauce. Turn off the heat, stir in the green parts of the scallions and the toasted sesame oil. Serve immediately with steamed rice.