San Francisco is a city rich in culture and diversity, which is one of the most significant reasons why I’m obsessed with the city. Because I grew up in a densely Asian-populated neighbourhood, my comfort foods have always been any Asian dish. I love the flavours and smells and have luckily found that many Asian dishes are fairly simple to replicate at home, just like this Chinese green beans with pork recipe.
My friend and I made a stir-fry dish the other night with green beans, minced pork, garlic, scallions, and mushrooms that we put over rice. It was incredibly easy to make and had the same flavours as the food I’d buy at one of my favourite Chinese restaurants in the neighbourhood where I grew up.
Although we ate this dish with rice, I think it would also go well in lettuce cups for a lighter version or even with noodles.

Authentic Chinese Green Beans With Pork Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork (minced pork)
1 pound green beans
4 cloves garlic - diced
4 small green onions (scallions or green shallots) - chopped
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms - chopped
1 tablespoon chili sauce (chilli sauce in British English)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (chilli flakes in British English) - dried
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
Instructions
- In a wok, heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add the string beans when the oil is hot and cook until blistered. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add more sesame oil if necessary to the pan. Add the scallions and garlic for about a minute or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and ground pork. Once the pork has browned, stir in the chili sauce and add the red chili flakes. Then add the chopped green beans to the wok or pan and stir them all together.
- Add the soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, and a dash of pepper. Serve over rice or with lettuce cups, or just on its own. Enjoy!