Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans
Sichuan dry-fried green beans - gan bian si ji dou - showcase the dry-frying technique (gan bian) central to Sichuan home cooking, where vegetables are blistered in a wok with little or no oil until their moisture evaporates and their natural sugars concentrate. The beans toss in a scorching wok until their skins wrinkle and develop brown spots, a process that collapses their raw crunch into a chewy, almost leathery exterior while the inside retains a slight snap. Minced pork, ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), dried red chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns are added in the final minute - the pork contributes meaty depth, the ya cai adds a funky salt, and the peppercorns deliver the characteristic numbing tingle (ma la) that clings to the bean surfaces. The finished dish has a textural duality unique to the gan bian method: slightly tough on the outside, still yielding inside. It is one of the most commonly ordered vegetable dishes at Chinese restaurants, equally suited as a side to a rice meal or as a drinking snack with cold beer.
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Instructions
- 1
Trim green beans and dry them completely.
- 2
Dry-fry beans in a very hot pan with a little oil until blistered and wrinkled.
- 3
Cook ground pork in remaining oil until crumbly.
- 4
Add garlic, ginger, and doubanjiang, stir-frying briefly.
- 5
Return beans, season with soy sauce, and toss quickly to finish.
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