Stir-Fried Green Beans

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound green beans, washed and dried
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 5 tablespoons meat or vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or a combination thereof

Directions

1. Trim off the stem ends, break each green bean in half, and keep them nearby. With the dull side of a cleaver, press down on the garlic cloves so they flatten.
2. Set the wok over your strongest flame and give it 3 to 4 minutes to get fiercely hot, stopping when you see smoke rising from the metal.
3. Add the oil or cooking fat and immediately roll it around the wok, then drop in the smashed garlic. Stir the garlic through the fat for about 5 seconds.
4. Add all the green beans at once, then keep them moving quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes, until the beans are crisp and the centers are still just a touch raw. After 2 minutes of cooking, taste a bean so you know where you are.
5. Add the salt and stock, and stir until the beans are slicked with liquid. Cover the wok and shut off the heat. Let the stock ease the green beans the rest of the way.
6. The beans are ready when they keep a little bite and the centers are cooked through. Serve piping hot. You can use this same stir-fry approach, strong heat followed by a softer finish, with other vegetables, such as zucchini, squash, broccoli, and cauliflower.