Gan Bian Si Ji Dou — Dry-Fried Green Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and dried thoroughly
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 oz ground pork
• 2 tbsp preserved mustard greens (ya cai), rinsed and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
• 6 dried red chilies, snipped

Method

1. Make sure the beans are truly dry — any water turns the next step into steaming and you'll never get the blisters.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high and add the beans in one layer. Let them sit, turning only every 60 seconds, until the skins wrinkle and char in patches, 6–8 minutes. Scoop out.
3. In the remaining oil, fry the pork until it's crisped and separated, then add the ya cai, garlic, ginger, and dried chilies and cook 45 seconds.
4. Return the beans and add soy sauce, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorn. Toss hard for a minute so the pork works its way into every crevice.
5. Serve straight from the wok, hot or at room temperature — this one is arguably better an hour later.