Stir Fried Green Beans with Pork

Since Tom and I have arrived in Shanghai just over 2 months ago, I have been on food overload. There are some dishes that are clearly time consuming to make with an elaborate list of indistinguishable ingredients. There have also been a few simple and delicious dishes that have graced our dinner table almost every time we eat out. Fried Green Beans with Pork is one of our favorites.






1 lb Green Beans (trim ends)
1/3 lb Ground Pork
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp XO Sauce (Substitute: Soy Sauce)

Marinade:
2 Tbs Soy Sauce (Note: if you are substituting the XO sauce, only use 1 Tbs of Soy Sauce here)
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Corn Starch
1 Tbs Water

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, corn starch, and water to make the marinage. Add pork and let sit for 15 mins.

Make sure the green beans are completely dry. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan (just enough to cover the green beans). Once the oil is hot (test with one green bean - if it bubbles right away, the oil is ready) fry the beans until tender but not brown - approx 3-4 mins. Remove the fried beans and let drain on paper towels.

Discard all but 2 Tbs of the oil. Add 1 Tbs of the oil to the pan and return to heat. Add the marinated pork and fry until cooked all the way through. Then remove from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs of oil and saute garlic for 1 min then add the green beans, pork, and XO sauce. At this point you could also add sliced chillies for added heat. Toss together to combine and reheat all ingredients.

It's best when served right away while the green beans still have a bit of a crisp texture. However, I'm not going to lie - this is also amazing as left overs eaten from the fridge ala Nigella Lawson.