Minced Pork with Green Beans

This classic dish has many versions. Every Chinese family has their own way of making minced pork with green beans. Some use garlic and chilies, and some like to finish the dish with some rice vinegar for acidity. Our version makes use of a common Sichuan condiment called doubanjiang. To learn more about this fermented bean paste, The Woks of Life has a guide. It is what gives our version its spicy piquant flavor. And, once you have this essential ingredient in Chinese cooking, you can make a ton of other dishes.

This recipe is so easy and quick to make, it’s a good weeknight dinner candidate. It frequents our dinner rotation and rates highly with our families. Crunchy green beans and savory minced pork are an ideal accompaniment to a bowl of fragrant jasmine rice or chewy noodles. If you make this dish, tag us on your posts @such_is_motherhood and #SuchIsNutrition on Instagram.

Minced Pork with Green Beans

This recipe is so easy and quick to make, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner candidate. Crunchy green beans and savory minced pork are an ideal accompaniment to a bowl of fragrant jasmine rice or chewy noodles.

• Author: Such Is Motherhood
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stir Fry
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 ounces ground pork
• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, dry sherry or sake
• 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce or tamari (see note)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 1 heaping tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 scant tablespoon doubanjiang (see note)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch of green onions, diced
• 12 ounces green beans, diced
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Combine the ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and ground pork in a small mixing bowl. Next, mix in the tapioca starch and let it marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
2. Combine the hoisin sauce, doubanjiang and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add the green onions and cook until soft.
4. Add the marinated pork to the skillet. Use a spatula to break up larger pieces until fully cooked.
5. Stir the hoisin sauce mixture a couple of times and pour it into the pan. Now, mix everything together until it’s combined. Scrape up any cooked bits from the skillet.
6. Finally, add the green beans. Heat until fully cooked, but still crunchy, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve over rice or noodles.

Notes

• This dish cannot be made gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce with tamari. The doubanjiang contains wheat.
• Doubanjiang is a fermented mix of broad (fava) beans, red chilies and oil. It’s thick and chunky with a reddish brown color and it’s the ingredient that gives many Sichuan dishes their distinctive heat and flavor. Depending on the variety you buy, it may be fermented for 3 months or up to 3 years. The longer it has been fermented, the more expensive it will be. It will also be more pungent and you’ll be able to use less of it. Purchase the 3-month version with chili oil from the Pixian region of China to use in our recipe. Refrigerate in a tightly lidded container after opening and it should last many months.
• We provide a gluten free swap under our “Make it your own” heading below.

Keywords: pork, legumes, main dish, dinner, easy recipe

Make It Your Own

This recipe is versatile and forgiving. If you don’t have doubanjiang, you can substitute it with a chili oil you have on hand. Just add salt or soy sauce to taste. To make this dish gluten-free, use a gluten-free chili oil or crisp instead of the doubanjiang and replace soy sauce with tamari. For a spicier dish, decrease the hoisin sauce and increase the doubanjiang. And, to make it less spicy, do the reverse. Also, you can swap the pork for ground chicken or beef for a slightly different flavor. Minced pork with green beans also makes excellent fried rice the next day. We like to top our fried rice with a crispy fried egg. Tell us how you’ve made this recipe your own!

Find more Recipes to make your next nourishing meal a delicious one.

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