...a few years later... Echoing the above, the salt-brine pickling directions in this recipe simply cannot be correct. Salt-cure pickles (such as barrel dills and kimchi) are made by encouraging lactic-acid-producing bacteria to grow while using a high-salt solution to inhibit the growth of other (more harmful and less tasty) critters. Exact methods very, but they all have one thing in common: they take weeks, not days. "Refrigerator" pickling recipes use a vinegar solution to emulate the tang of lactic acid (and other pickling by-products) and usually take 3-7 days. I suspect that the restaurant dish uses brine pickled beans (maybe available pre-pickled in chinese markets?), but that Dunlop's recipe was meant to use a vinegar cure. Searching the net for 'refrigerator pickle' yields several dozen recipes; I'll try adapting on with the spice mix mentioned here and will report back.