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Ingredients
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Main
Sauce & Seasoning
Garnish (optional)
Method
Main
Blanch (optional)
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch 1–2 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside. (Skipping blanching is fine; you will stir-fry a bit longer.)
Cook the ground meat
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork or chicken, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook 4–6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked meat to a bowl, leaving fat in the pan. If the pan is dry, add a little more oil (about 1 teaspoon).
Aromatics and green beans
Increase heat to high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add minced garlic, ginger and shallot; stir-fry 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the green beans and stir-fry 3–5 minutes until beans are crisp-tender and start to blister in spots. If beans were blanched, 2–3 minutes is sufficient.
Combine meat and sauce
Return the cooked ground meat to the pan and toss with the beans. Pour the prepared sauce (see next section) over the mixture and stir to coat. Cook 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and everything is heated through. Taste and adjust salt or pepper as needed.
Sauce & Finish
Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, stock (or water) and crushed red pepper (if using) in a small bowl. In a separate small cup, mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. When the meat and beans are combined in the pan, pour the soy/oyster mixture in and then add the slurry while stirring to bring the sauce to a glossy, slightly thickened consistency (about 30–60 seconds).
Turn off heat and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil if desired. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions before serving.