Szechuan Chinese Long Beans

One of my favorite ways to eat a bowl of rice is with a big plate of Szechuan green beans.  The green beans I've seen of late have been a little on the sad side.  Enter the Chinese Long Bean, an excellent substitute.  I've usually cooked the long bean in its pickled form.  Finely diced and sauteed with a little ground pork, soy and spicy chilies, it is the perfect beer and rice companion.   If you ever make it to Spiced in Bellevue, WA, they make a great version of this, along with a whole cooler counter of special cold items to choose from.  But on with my long beans.


1 lb Chinese long beans
1/3 cup minced or ground pork, mixed with 1 tsp soy and 1 tsp wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1-2 tsp chili sauce
1 scallion, sliced

Rinse the long beans and trim off the ends.  Cut into bit sized pieces.  Fry the beans in a smoking hot wok with 1 tbsp of canola oil until they are a little bit shriveled looking.  Remove the beans from the wok and add another couple teaspoons of oil.  Add the pork and fry until browned.  Add the garlic, ginger and chili sauce.  Fry until fragrant.  Toss beans back in and add the soy, wine, sugar and vinegar.  Fry for just a couple more minutes.  Sprinkle with scallions to serve.  This is a keeper!  It goes on the "standards" list.  And so a new label is born.