On the cover
Lily Ji of Mama Ji's prepares her restaurant's signature pickled long beans with ground pork and chiles. See the recipe, based on her mom's version,
Serves 4 to 6
This recipe, adapted from Mama Ji’s in the Castro, is a dish that chef-owner Lily Ji’s mother frequently made during her childhood near the Sichuan capital city of Chengdu. The intensely spicy dish, when paired with plenty of steamed rice, made for a flavorful, yet highly economical meal for Ji’s large family. You’ll need to pickle the beans for at least five days ahead of time.
Pickled long beans
¾ cup fine sea salt 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns 4 tablespoons vodka 4 tablespoons sugar 8 to 10 star anise pods 8 to 10 bay leaves 12 slices of peeled fresh ginger (about ¼ cup) 12 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half 4 jalapeño peppers, cut in half 1 pound Chinese long beans, washed and trimmed
To finish and serve
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1½ tablespoons fermented chile bean paste (doubanjiang) 1 tablespoon bird’s eye chile, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 1 tablespoon green onion (white part only), thinly sliced 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper 4 ounces ground pork 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon chile oil Steamed rice to serve
Make the pickled long beans: Place the salt and 3 quarts of water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Place the Sichuan peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine to make a small pouch. Add to the water with the vodka, sugar, star anise, bay leaves, ginger, garlic and jalapeños, stirring to combine.
Place the long beans in a pickling jar large enough to hold the beans (if necessary, cut the long beans in half or use two large pickling jars) and pour the pickling liquid over the beans so they’re completely submerged.
Place the long beans in the refrigerator and allow to pickle for at least 5 days and up to 3 weeks (the longer the pickle, the more sour the long beans will get).
To finish and serve: Remove the long beans from the pickling liquid and cut into ¼-inch pieces.
Heat a wok over high heat. When the wok begins to smoke, add the vegetable oil, followed by the chile bean paste and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bird’s eye chile, garlic, ginger, green onions, red bell pepper and toss to combine. Add the ground pork and stir until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Add the long beans, dark soy sauce, black vinegar and sugar and cook until the beans are just cooked through but still have some crunch. Remove from the heat and add the ground Sichuan pepper and chile oil. Serve immediately with plenty of steamed rice.