Stir-Fried Pork with Long Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 5  peppercorns black
• 0.8 pound pork shoulder boneless
• 1 teaspoon cilantro leaves minced
• 1 teaspoon galangal fresh frozen thawed minced peeled ( or )
• 2 tablespoons garlic minced
• 0.5 pound green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 medium kaffir lime leaves fresh frozen thawed minced ( or ; 2 sections each)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 stalk lemon grass fresh end trimmed
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar light packed grated
• 1 teaspoon lime zest minced
• 3 tablespoons shallots minced
• 2 tablespoons shrimp 
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste 
• 6 inch thai chile dried hot
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• mortar and pestle

Directions

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.
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.
3. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking.
4. Drain again.
5. Pat pork dry, then cut across the grain into ÿ-inch-thick slices (about 2 by 1 inch).
6. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then cook seasoning paste, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Add pork, tossing to coat, then spread out in skillet and brown, turning occasionally (to keep paste from burning), about 2 minutes.
8. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and beans and cook, tossing, until pork is just cooked through and beans are hot, about 1 minute.
9. Remove from heat and toss with lime leaves.
10. &149; If using dried shrimp, grind to a powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder or use mortar and pestle.&149; Seasoning paste can be made ahead and chilled, covered, up to 1 week or frozen 1 month.