Green Beans & Pork

Growing up, one of my favorite vegetables or green foods was the humble green beans. The green beans recipes that I ate as a kid were mostly in the form of a thoran (a coconut based vegetable dish in Kerala with Indian spices and flavors). The beans were sauteed in fresh curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds along with freshly grated coconut in addition to many Indian spices and flavors. Over here in the US, I have cooked green beans differently. Firstly, always use fresh green beans/french beans. There is a world of difference in fresh and frozen. This recipe goes great with the beans alone but pair it up with some ground meat (in this case pork), it just adds that amazing extra bit of flavor and fat which elevates the dish to another level and Yes, a soft boiled egg on top never hurt anyone!

{Recipe}
Ground Pork and Beans

INGREDIENTS:
Ground pork-200gms
Green Beans-20(approx)
Minced garlic – 2tbsps
Red chili flakes – 2tbsps
Red wine vinegar – 1tsp
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper – 1tsp
Soy sauce – 1tbsp
Dried basil leaves-1tsp(optional)
Coconut Oil

PREPARATION:
1)In a large pan, add some coconut oil. Once the oil is heated, add minced garlic and red chili flakes. Sauté till golden brown.
2)Then add the green beans to the pan and mix well with the garlic and chili flakes. Add salt, pepper, dried basil leaves and red wine vinegar. Mix well and cook for about 10 minutes on medium to high heat or till its semi-cooked.
3)Then add the ground pork to the pan and break into small pieces with a spatula. Mix well. Add the soy sauce and cayenne pepper along with any other necessary ingredients.
4)Add water to a saucepan and over the stove on high flame. Once the water stars boiling, gently place the egg inside the saucepan and boil it for about 6 to 6.5 minutes for the perfect soft boiled egg. Serve as shown. Enjoy! 🙂