Blistered String Beans with Pork

This is the dish you order at every Sichuan restaurant and wonder why your green beans at home never taste the same. The answer is deep-frying. The beans hit screaming-hot oil in batches until they blister, wrinkle, and develop those dark brown spots that concentrate their flavor.

Drying the beans thoroughly before frying is critical. Wet beans in hot oil means violent spattering and a kitchen cleanup you don’t want. Pat them completely dry with towels.

The dried shrimp soaked in sherry is a classic Sichuan umami bomb. An hour of soaking softens them and infuses the sherry with briny flavor. That sherry then goes into the sauce along with chicken broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil, so nothing gets wasted.

Ground pork gets stir-fried until it breaks into tiny crumbles, almost like a rough-textured meat sauce. Combined with the minced dried shrimp and Szechuan mustard greens, it creates a savory, funky coating that clings to each blistered bean.

The final toss happens fast. Beans go back in with the pork mixture, the sauce hits the wok, and everything cooks down until only a couple tablespoons of liquid remain. You want a glaze, not a stew.

Chef Tips

• Fry the beans in small batches (5-6 batches for 2 pounds). Crowding drops the oil temperature and steams instead of blisters.
• Test oil temperature with a bamboo chopstick. Steady bubbles mean it’s ready.
• The beans should look shriveled and lightly charred. If they’re still bright green, they need more time.
• Szechuan preserved mustard greens (zha cai) can be found at Asian grocery stores. Rinse before mincing to reduce saltiness.

Variations

• Vegetarian: Skip the pork and dried shrimp. Double the mustard greens and add minced shiitake mushrooms for umami.
• Extra spicy: Add a tablespoon of chili bean paste (doubanjiang) when stir-frying the pork.