Green Beans , Vegan , Cast Iron
Best for: Blistered beans with a Sichuan buzz.
Gan bian — dry-frying — means cooking green beans in a nearly dry, ripping-hot pan until they blister, wrinkle, and concentrate. This version is written the vegetable way, with pickled mustard greens (ya cai) doing the savory work that ground pork does in restaurant versions, plus dried chiles and Sichuan pepper for the buzz. A cast-iron skillet or griddle on the grill gives the beans the dry heat they need.
Cast iron: Large cast-iron skillet or griddle over direct high heat on the grill; 500°F. Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle, grill, spatula.
Ingredients
15 minutes. Total: 25 minutes.
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed and thoroughly dried
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 6–8 dried Chinese red chiles, snipped in half
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup pickled mustard greens (ya cai), rinsed and chopped (or chopped capers-free pickled cabbage)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Directions
Heat the cast-iron skillet on the grill to 500°F until just smoking. The beans must be bone dry — water is the enemy of blistering.
Add the neutral oil and the beans in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, then toss every minute or so for 8–10 minutes total, until the beans are blistered, wrinkled, and spotted brown.
Push the beans to the edges. Add the dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns to the center and toast for 20 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the garlic, ginger, and pickled mustard greens and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the soy sauce, sugar, and salt and toss for 1 minute, until the seasoning clings to the beans.
Off the heat, drizzle with the sesame oil and serve hot — the beans should still squeak a little when bitten.
Grilling tip: Dry-frying is a patience technique: the beans look like nothing is happening for the first three minutes, then blister all at once.
