Thai pork, basil and green bean stir fry
We were craving Thai takeout last week, and I was thisclose to picking up the phone for delivery when I realized I had everything at home to make one of our favourite dishes – garlicky-spicy minced pork, fresh basil and finely chopped green beans stir-fried with flat rice noodles.
The easy sauce is a savoury blend of soy sauce, fish sauce and a bit of brown sugar to balance the heat. I was really excited that the flavour was just right on the first try.
We like it pretty spicy, but I kept it at a medium level with the option to throw in some crushed red chiles toward the end so you can dial the heat up to your preference.
I love how just chopping green beans in a different way – thinly, crosswise – gives them a whole new identity. They are close in size to the bits of ground pork, and add a great texture without overwhelming the dish.
As a bonus, the whole meal came together faster than delivery would have taken. And making it in my own kitchen, I’m sure it was healthier (more green beans, less oil, a more moderate amount of noodles).
A yummy new stir-fry to add to our rotation! Have you discovered any great new weeknight meals lately?
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 thai bird chiles
- 1 lb lean ground pork
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 9 oz green beans thinly sliced crosswise (yields about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 cup packed basil leaves thinly sliced
- crushed dried red chiles to taste (optional)
- Noodles or rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and chilies; sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Add pork and salt; cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink inside and crisping at edges. Add green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar. Pour into pan and stir to coat pork and beans. Taste and add a pinch of crushed chiles if more heat is desired. Stir in basil leaves and serve with noodles or rice.
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