Today we are making something a little out of the box but so simple and delicious. It does include a
couple of things that you might not always have on hand, but which are easily found in area specialty
shops. Alternatively, they can just as easily be left out. Without further ado:

Dry Fried String Beans – serves 4 to 6
1 pound of string beans, cleaned
2 Tbs cooking oil, divided (I like grape seed or peanut oil, anything with a high smoke point is ok)
Pinch of salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ – 1 tsp chili flake
2-3 Tbs, preserved mustard greens, minced *
2 tsp rice wine or sherry **
2 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Optional:
½ lb. of ground pork or other minced meat (I’m looking at you, leftover ham)

Procedure:
1) After the beans are clean and padded dry toss them in a large bowl with 1 Tbs of oil.

2) Set a wok, steel, or cast-iron pan over high heat. When about smoking, add the green beans in a
thin layer, so they are not in a mound. Allow them to char a little on one side before reducing
the heat to medium, sprinkle the salt and give them a quick stir.

3) Make sure the stay in a single layer in the pan and not in a pile. This allows them to “dry fry” and
not steam which helps us to develop the scorch marks and depth of flavor we are looking for.

4) Stir occasionally, allowing the char to develop evenly on the beans and they begin to soften.

5) When the beans have softened and charred, turn them out into a bowl and put the pan back on
the stove.

6) Add the remaining oil, along with the garlic, chili flake, and preserved radish to the pan and stir
fry on medium/high heat for a minute. If you are using meat, brown is first in the pan by itself,
then add the other ingredients.

7) Place the beans, and remaining ingredients in the pan. Crank the heat to high and toss
everything together for a minute or so. Season to taste

This can be served with rice for a meal or on its own as a refreshing side dish.
I know it does not look like a lot of “sauce” for the veggies, but it is enough to impart a subtle flavor
without drowning the freshness of the beans.

* Look for Ya Cai, or Su Mi Ya Cai at local specialty grocery stores. You can omit the mustard greens if
you like, but certainly bring a unique flavor to the dish. Kimchi is a good substitute, alternatively, salty
kosher dills can be used.
** Either wine may be used, though I prefer the rice wine. You can substitute vinegar in place of the
wine if you wish. I would go with either rice wine or apple cider vinegar.