If using dried shrimp, grind to a powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder or use mortar and pestle. Seasoning paste can be made ahead and chilled, covered, up to 1 week or frozen 1 month.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Yield
Makes 3 or 4 (maincourse) servings
Ingredients
For seasoning paste:
1
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
5
1
For beans and pork:
1
3
3
1
1
3
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Make paste:
Step 1
Mince 1 tablespoon lemongrass from root end. Put minced lemongrass and remaining paste ingredients in mortar and vigorously pound to a smooth paste using pestle (most chile seeds should be crushed), 6 to 8 minutes.
Cook beans and pork:
Step 2
Cook beans in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water (1 teaspoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain again.
Step 3
Pat pork dry, then cut across the grain into ÿ-inch-thick slices (about 2 by 1 inch).
Step 4
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then cook seasoning paste, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork, tossing to coat, then spread out in skillet and brown, turning occasionally (to keep paste from burning), about 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and beans and cook, tossing, until pork is just cooked through and beans are hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and toss with lime leaves.