Wok-Fried Green Beans with Chilli Pork

Keep the heat high throughout and keep the food moving at all times to get that fierce, smoky, hot-wok flavour. Use regular green beans or long, green snake beans from Asian greengrocers.

INGREDIENTS:

• 300g pork, coarsely minced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 500g green or snake beans
• 1 red capsicum
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, squashed
• 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce (toban djan*)

METHOD:

Mix the pork with soy sauce, cornflour, sugar, salt and pepper and set aside.
Trim the beans and cut on the diagonal into 5cm lengths. Cut the red capsicum lengthwise into thin strips, discarding core and seeds. Cook the beans and red capsicum in simmering, salted water for 4 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water, then pat dry.
Heat half the oil with the garlic in a wok. When hot, stir fry the beans and red capsicum for 4 mins until scorched. Remove to a warm platter. Heat the remaining oil and stir-fry the pork over high heat for 4 mins, tossing well. Add the rice wine, chilli bean sauce, the vegetables and a dash of water to the pork, tossing well for 2 mins, and serve with steamed rice.

* From Chinese food stores.

Serves 4.

Chef: Jill Dupleix 
Photo: Jennifer Soo 
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald Recipe Cards