Dry-Fried Green Beans (干煸四季豆) — Sichuan Wok-Blistered Beans with Pork

• 500 ggreen beans (trimmed and thoroughly dried)
• 120 gminced pork (preferably 15 percent fat)
• 60 mlneutral cooking oil
• 50 gya cai preserved mustard greens (Sichuan preserved vegetable, chopped if coarse)
• 3 clovegarlic (finely chopped)
• 1 inchfresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
• 2scallions (white and green parts thinly sliced)
• 6dried red chiles (cut into short segments, seeds shaken out for milder heat)
• 1 tspSichuan peppercorns (lightly crushed)
• 1.5 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tbspShaoxing wine
• 1 tspChinkiang vinegar
• 1 tspgranulated sugar
• 0.25 tspground white pepper
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the green beans and dry them very thoroughly with a clean towel or paper towels. Any surface moisture will make the wok spit and will steam the beans instead of giving them the wrinkled, dry-fried texture that defines Ganbian Sijidou.

2. 2

   Put the minced pork in a small bowl and mix it with 1 tbsp of the light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, and the ground white pepper. Let it stand for 10 minutes while you chop the garlic, ginger, scallions, chiles, and ya cai.

3. 3

   Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates almost immediately, then add the neutral oil. Add the green beans and stir-fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning constantly, until the skins are blistered, wrinkled, and lightly browned but the beans are still intact.

4. 4

   Lift the beans out with a slotted wok spatula and drain them in a colander or on a plate lined with paper towels. Carefully pour off all but about 1 tbsp of oil from the wok, because the final dish should taste dry-fried and fragrant rather than greasy.

5. 5

   Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns for 10 to 15 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and ya cai, then stir-fry for 30 seconds before adding the marinated pork and breaking it into small savory crumbs.

6. 6

   Stir-fry the pork mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat loses its raw color and begins to brown at the edges. Return the blistered beans to the wok, add the remaining 0.5 tbsp light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, and fine sea salt, then toss for 1 minute until the beans are glossy and evenly coated.

7. 7

   Add the sliced scallion greens and give the dish a final 10-second toss over high heat. Serve immediately while the beans are hot, aromatic, and slightly chewy, with the pork and ya cai clinging to the ridges.