Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

Ingredients

• 500g green beans, topped and cut into 7cm lengths
• 100g minced pork
• 40g ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), rinsed and chopped
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 6 dried Sichuan chillies, snipped
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Before you cook

• Top and tail the beans, cut them into finger lengths, and dry them completely on a tea towel
• Rinse and squeeze the preserved mustard greens, then chop them finely
• Chop the garlic and ginger and snip the dried chillies

Steps

1. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
2. Add the beans and spread them in a single layer.
3. Fry the beans for about eight minutes, stirring only every minute or so, until the skins are wrinkled, blistered and dotted with brown.
4. Scoop the beans out onto a plate.
5. Add the last tablespoon of oil and the minced pork to the wok.
6. Stir-fry the pork over high heat until it is dry, crumbly and browned, about four minutes.
7. Add the garlic, ginger and dried chillies and stir for twenty seconds.
8. Add the preserved mustard greens and fry for one minute until fragrant.
9. Return the beans to the wok, splash in the Shaoxing wine, and add the soy sauce and sugar.
10. Toss hard for one minute so the pork clings to the beans.
11. Turn off the heat, stir through the sesame oil and ground Sichuan pepper, and serve.