Szechuan Stir-Fried Green Beans
Fast food that’s fresh and flavorful, and so much better than takeout!
I’ve got some go-to and must-haves in my usual Chinese food take-out order. Dumplings? Yes. Noodles? Absolutely. And I absolutely must have stir-fried green beans. There’s something so irresistible about the savory and sweet snap of these brilliantly green green beans. Or maybe it’s the fried chunks of pork belly…. This recipe for Szechuan Stir-Fried Green Beans is something I make regularly, mainly because it’s so quick, easy, and BIG on flavor!
First, the green beans go into a wok or wide pan with a little bit of vegetable oil. The natural sugars in the green beans will help them to caramelize rather quickly, searing the beans with flavor. I transfer the beans to a plate while I cook the pork belly.
I think it’s safe to say that any time we’re talking about fried chunks of pork, like bacon or pork belly, we’re safely headed in the direction of deliciousness. I’ve replaced the green beans with bite-sized chunks of pork belly. The pork belly, too, gets nice and caramelized-crispy, while still keeping a bit of tenderness and adding flavor.
Pork belly will release quite a bit of fat, so once the pork belly chunks are done, I remove some of that fat from the pan; I don’t want the fat, as delicious as it is, to take away from the crispiness of the green beans. I add more oil and add the peppercorns, garlic, and chilis. The green beans return and a little more tossing occurs to make sure the green beans are generously coated in all of the flavors, the peppercorns, garlic, and heat from the chili.
To serve, I transfer the green beans to a serving platter and scatter the salty-crispy chunks of pork belly over the top. Look how amazingly delicious this is! I love that the green beans have retained both color and crispness. They’re not wilted, they’re just al dente. And the pop of salty fattiness from the chunks of pork belly, is there anything better?! As much as I love to order these from my favorite take-out spot, I have to say, this homemade version is equally as good. Fast food that’s fresh and flavorful, and so much better than takeout!
Szechuan Stir-Fried Green Beans are best enjoyed with Chinese Pan Fried Dumplings, Cantonese Char Siu Pork, Nuo Mi Fan, and Homemade Fortune Cookies.
Szechuan Stir-Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb Chinese green beans, trimmed at both ends
- 1 teaspoon dark chinese vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 oz. pork belly, diced
- 5 - 6 dried chilies, sliced and seeded
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1/3 cup green onion, green parts, sliced thin
Preparation
- Preheat a wok or wide pan over medium-low heat with vegetable oil, 1 minute.
- Add green beans to the wok and toss to coat in oil. Let beans cook for 1 minute per side, then toss until all the beans are caramelized. Around 8 - 10 minutes.
- Remove cooked beans to a plate.
- In the hot wok, turn the heat to medium and cook pork belly until crispy. Around 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Using a paper towel, wipe out as much of the pork fat as possible and add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok.
- Add chilies, peppercorns, garlic cloves, and ginger to the remaining oil. Toast for 1 minute, tossing constantly with a wok spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the garlic and chilis from burning.
- Add the green beans to the hot work with green onion, Chinese vinegar and sugar.
- Salt to taste and garnish with crispy pork belly. Enjoy!