Garlic Pork and Dry Fried Green Beans is a quick dinner with pan seared blistered green beans tossed with a garlicky savory minced pork stir fry. (Gluten-free and Low Carb Options, Video Included)
Garlic Pork and Dry Fried Green Beans
This traditional Asian stir fry is one of those kinds of recipes that no matter kind of day you are having, you can get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. You gotta love that!
Garlic Pork and Dry Fried Green Beans has just a few ingredients, it’s frugal and you can make delicious recipe exchanges to meet what is in your pantry or your preferences. We used ground pork for this recipe as this is most traditional. However, this recipe is also delicious with ground (minced) beef, chicken or turkey. Use what you have on hand. We are all about that!
If you want to make this recipe vegan, exchange the pork with tofu or mushrooms. On the other hand, if you want to keep this recipe low carb, exchange your side of rice with a bowl of cauliflower rice and exchange with a sugar alternative.
New Tactical Measures for Maintaining Social Distance
GARLIC and a LOT of it! (LOL)
When we use the word GARLIC twice in the same sentence, you know we are not messing around. We used 4 huge cloves of garlic in this recipe, almost half of head of garlic. Really! Our little Italian, Asian and Middle Eastern grandmas knew something very important. She thought she was just adding additional Umph and flavor to her recipes, but she was doing far more than that!
Garlic Health Benefits
- If people who are sick can’t get near you (due to garlic odorous effects), you are less likely to fall ill. The old adage, “I would not touch that with a 6-foot pole”, all of the sudden has become relevant.
- Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects from NIH lists some possible benefits of anti-microbial effects of garlic.
Is Garlic a Herb or a Spice?
Actually, neither. Garlic and onion are members of the lily family just like onions, leeks and shallots. Garlic bulbs usually have between 10-20 cloves per bulb. Sometimes cloves are small and sometimes they are larger. We like to use a large cleaver to crush, peel and chop garlic.
How to Store Whole Garlic Bulbs?
Garlic needs to stay dry and dark. The worst enemies of garlic are moisture and light as these can cause mold to grow. They best way to store garlic is at room temperature in a dark place with good ventilation. A wire basket in the pantry or breathable bag. Do not store your garlic in the refrigerator as it has a higher probability of sprouting and becoming more bitter. If you happen to peel and chop your garlic, use it within 3 days and store it in the refrigerator.
How Long Can you Keep Peeled and Chopped Garlic in the Refrigerator?
You may keep peeled and chopped garlic for up to 3 days. Raw garlic can carry the potential of botulism, so we advise 3 days and then pitch. Even cooked garlic we cannot guarantee so we advise 3 days according to food safety boards.
How to Make Dried Fried Green Beans?
Dry frying is a cooking technique whereas you use very little oil, a very hot pan and allow the green beans to sear, shrivel but allows the green beans to still stay crisp. The best part is the extra chargrilled flavor that gives the green beans almost a nutty taste. A hot iron skillet or a full metal wok or skillet, without a non-stick surface, are the 2 best kinds pans to get this effect. Unlike, stir frying green beans, in our Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Green Beans , the Dry Fried method uses no moisture and no steaming. Check out video below to see how to perform this cooking technique.
Could you do this in an air fryer? Don’t know, as we do not have an air fryer. If you try this method, please report back and let us know how it goes.
How Long Does It Take to Dry Fry Green Beans?
The dry frying process for green beans takes about 7-10 minutes to complete depending on how hot your pan is. Long beans are a little firmer and these may take between 10-15 minutes to dry fry. You will find that some of the beans will brown faster than others and you will have to remove those first while the others continue to sear in the pan. The goal is to get your pan really hot, almost to the smoking level and then add your beans to the pan with oil and let them sear. Once they get that first sear then toss them and let them sear on the other side.
Regular Green Beans vs Long Beans
If the opportunity presents itself, we like to use Chinese long beans for this recipe. Long beans are a little firmer in texture but also take a little longer to dry fry. However, regular green beans are easier to find for most, so we have used those today in our Garlic Pork and Dry Fried Green Beans recipe. Asian Long Beans come in both green and the red variety. Have you had a chance to try our Adobong Pulang Sitaw Long Red Beans?
Where do you fall in the Garlic Poll?
60 percent of our foodie friends use 1-2 garlic heads a week
20 percent of our foodie friends use 2-3 garlic heads a week
20 percent of our foodie friends use 3 or more garlic heads a week.
Where do you rank in the garlic polls? Leave us a comment and let us know. We are for certain we are in the 3 or more garlic heads a week, easily… There are no vampires anywhere to be seen around these parts.
More Delicious Stir Fry Recipes…
Spicy Pork and Bamboo Stir Fry
Easy Pork Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry
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Garlic Pork and Dry Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
Minced Pork Marinade
- ½ pound pork ground (minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
or dry sherry
Dry Fried Green Beans
- 2 tablespoon oil for stir frying
- 1 pound green beans or long beans end removed and chopped into 2 inch segments
- 1 inch ginger
knob Fresh peeled and grated or ½ teaspoon dried ginger - 4 cloves garlic
large, peeled and minced - 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar alternative
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional) but really tasty
- salt and white pepper to taste - optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add your ground (minced) pork, salt, white pepper, cornstarch and Shaoxing wine or sherry and mix. Set aside.
- Heat iron skillet, wok or skillet (without non-stick coating) to medium high heat. Make sure you dry your green beans well first with a paper towel, so they don’t splatter when they hit the oil. Add light flavored oil. Add your prepared cut green beans (or long beans) and dry fry them.
- Allow the green beans to sear in a single layer and brown for about 1-2 minutes on one side and then toss. Depending on hot your pan is and the age of your green beans dry it may take about 7 to 10 minutes to sear them brown on all sides. If you use long beans that are a little firmer in texture, these may take up to 12 to 15 minutes. Not all your green beans will be dry fried all at the same time. You will need to take out the ones that are browned along the way while the rest continue to sear in your pan.
- Remove your green beans from the pan.
- Add ginger, garlic to the pan. Then, add the pork that has been marinating and fry until browned. Add soy sauce and sugar and toss. Return the dry fried green beans to the pan and drizzle with sesame oil and toss until well combined.
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy.
Astamari says
Looking for a similar recipe used in a dish in a tiny, home restaurant in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia that was so umami-laden. This may be it. Also, potato or rice starch can e subbed in. Rice starch is a little lighter and crunchier (my fave).
Anyway, to answer your poll, I use at least 10-12 garlic cloves per week in my savory dishes: whether Asian, Mediterranean, Latin American or US fusion.
HWC Magazine says
Ha! Now we are not feeling alone in the garlic poll. It's almost an emergency when we run low on this household staple. Have not tried adding rice starch to dry fried green beans. Will have to give that a go next time.
Juliana says
Oh Bobbi...I love this dish and you really perfected...the blistered green beans...yum! Now I just need a bowl of white rice and I am happy.
Thanks for the recipe...have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Juliana. Don't you just love that little extra flavor the char gives the green bean. Hope you have a lovely weekend ahead.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Just used my minced pork. Hopefully I'll be able to order some in the near future as this dish sounds great. As to the garlic, we use a lot.
HWC Magazine says
Hi there Karen. This recipe is just as delicious with minced beef, turkey or chicken too. Hope everyone is staying well. Take Care
Ghulam Mohyudin says
Good to know that works too! I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
Tofu for me but my hubby would love the pork, I am always trying to get him to eat more veggies and this would be a great way to do it. I hope you and your family are managing to stay safe and the idea of eating twice as much garlic to encourage social distancing is a great one. I love garlic.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Emma. Tofu is fabulous in this recipe too. We are augmenting our social distancing with the 2 huge bags of garlic that arrived in an online grocery order. Stay well and take care.
Astamari says
Firm tofu and ground pork are very compatible/complementary in non-vegetarian dishes. Yum.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Emma. Glad you enjoyed this stir fry recipe.