Stir-Fried Lamb with Bitter Melon or Green Peppers and Black Beans

• 1/4 cup fermented black beans
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, dry sherry, sake, or white wine
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
• 3 or 4 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced, or 2 or 3 bitter melons, prepared as described in the headnote
• 1 pound boneless lamb, from the leg or shoulder, cut into thin slices
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1/3 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped scallion

1. Soak the black beans in the wine.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
3. When the oil shimmers, add the peppers and cook, stirring only occasionally, until they brown and soften, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Add another tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and heat; add the lamb, a couple of pieces at a time.
6. Do not crowd; you may need to cook the lamb in 2 batches.
7. Brown well on each side, then transfer to the bowl with the peppers.
8. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the pepper-lamb mixture, along with the soaked beans and their liquid, the stock, and the soy sauce.
9. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is somewhat reduced (if it dries out immediately, add a little more stock or water), just a couple of minutes.
10. Stir in the scallion and serve.

fermented black beans, shaoxing wine, neutral oil, green bell peppers, lamb, garlic, fresh ginger, chicken stock, soy sauce, scallion

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/stir-fried-lamb-with-bitter-melon-or-green-peppers-and-black-beans-386331 (may not work)