Active Time

　　1 hour

　　Total Time

　　1 hour 30 minutes (includes chilling time)

　　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.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 3 or 4 (maincourse) servings

　　

For seasoning paste:

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded

　　3 (2- to 3-inch) dried hot Thai chiles, including seeds

　　3 tablespoons minced shallot

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　2 tablespoons shrimp powder or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried peeled shrimp

　　1 teaspoon minced cilantro root or stem

　　1 teaspoon makrut lime zest or regular lime zest

　　1 teaspoon minced peeled galangal (fresh or thawed frozen)

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　5 black peppercorns

　　1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste

　　

For beans and pork:

1/2 pound long beans or green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

　　3/4 pound boneless pork shoulder

　　3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

　　1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

　　1 tablespoon packed grated palm sugar or light brown sugar

　　3 medium makrut lime leaves (fresh or frozen), ribs discarded and leaves minced

　　Equipment: a smooth stone mortar and pestle

　　Accompaniment: white rice

　　

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.

　　Editor’s note:

　　As part of our archive repair project, this recipe has been updated to remove an offensive word for makrut lime.