Tom Yum Fried Green Beans with Pork

This week's Thai theme has led me to use another new ingredient in my kitchen: Tom Yum paste. I was a little worried about the spiciness of the paste since some of my new ingredients recently have been a little too spicy for hubby and my mother in law (they are the non-spicy eaters in the family). I did opt out of putting in the chilies, although I would usually throw them in anyways, and hope for the best...so use your discretion depending on the mouths you are planning to feed.

INGREDIENTS

1 lbs. Green Beans (trim ends)
½ lbs. Pork (Ground Pork would work as well)
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1tbsp. Dried Shrimp
2 Bird’s Eye Chilies (optional)

Sauce:
2 tbsp. Tom Yum Paste
1 tbsp. Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Marinate pork with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat up wok and fill bottom of wok with oil. Make sure the green beans are mostly dry, then add to wok. You may want to split up cooking the green beans depending on the size of your wok. When the green beans are tender, remove from wok.

Pour out most of the oil from the wok except for about a tablespoon for stir frying. Add garlic and dried shrimp to the oil and cook until fragrant. Add marinated pork into the wok. When the pork is mostly cooked, add the sauce mixture and chilies (optional). Return green beans to the wok when pork is complete cooked and mix until everything is coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (more sugar or soy sauce).

Remove from wok and serve!