Szechuan Green Beans and Ground Pork

 

This is a recipe I stumbled upon when I had ground pork and didn't know how to use it. I was looking for recipes and I thought this one sounded good. It's probably the best recipe I've ever tried on a whim, honestly. It's pretty simple to make and incredibly good! Even my parents like it! I have made this many times in the last 10 years or so and the version written below takes my preferences into account.

Notes:

• The photos above depict a double batch.
• This is not meant to be swimming in sauce like a lot of American Chinese food.
• I partially cook my green beans before adding them because adding them in raw results in them being not quite cooked. Be sure you drain the water from your green beans really well or it will prevent the ingredients from frying properly and dilute the sauce.
• The original recipe specifically called for white rice but eat it with whatever rice you like. I have eaten it with white Japanese rice, white jasmine rice, and brown Japanese rice, and all were quite good.

------------------

RECIPE:

Szechuan Green Beans and Ground Pork
adapted from a recipe by Leeann Chin and Katie Chin, originally published in Cooking Light, April 2006
Serves 3-4

2 cups hot cooked rice

2 tbsp hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is my favorite)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it really spicy)
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tsp corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground white pepper (if you don't have white pepper, black works too)
1 tsp peanut or canola oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 1/2 cups cut green beans, partially cooked and drained very well (I partially cook frozen ones in the microwave and then squeeze some of the water out before adding to the pan)

Stir together hoisin sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine pork, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl or on a plate until just mixed.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and fry until fragrant and very light brown, being careful not to let it burn. Add the pork mixture to the pan and fry until it is no longer pink, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula to break it into large crumbles. Add the green beans and fry for about 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Make a well in the center of the pan and pour the sauce into the well. Once it has heated up and starts to thicken and bubble and caramelize (about 1 minute), stir it into the pork and green beans to coat. Serve over hot cooked rice.