Spicy Green Beans and Pork, Asian Style

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and dried well with paper towels
• Pork Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in a large wok or deep sided skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Carefully add the beans to the hot oil, and fry, stirring occasionally, until the beans are blistered, 3 to 5 minutes. Dip the beans out of the oil with a strainer, and quickly rinse them in cold water.

Remove the oil from the wok, but do not wipe the pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok over medium heat, and stir in the garlic, ginger, and green onion. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the ground pork. Cook and stir the pork, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chili garlic sauce, chicken broth, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil.

Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl, stir into the pork mixture, and let simmer until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently stir the green beans into the pork sauce, heat through, and serve.