Pork Fried Rice

Fried rice has been an ang mo favorite in Asian restaurants for quite some time and it’s one of the few such dishes that is actually popular in Asian households as well. The great thing about fried rice is that it’s largely a left-overs dish. There are many different types of fried rice and fried rice recipes, but one common assertion is that it’s made up of a hodge-podge of left-overs, including left-over rice.

Over time, I’ve developed my own style and method for fried rice. You can change up the vegetables and meats in this recipe as you please, but the secret to mine is using sweet and sour sauce to emulate the char siew (barbeque pork) flavor.

[Prep: 10min / Cook: 15min]

– 2 servings (about 2 cups) cooked rice
– 2 boneless pork chops
– 2 Tbs sweet and sour sauce
– assorted veggies (pictured: onion, carrots, peas)
– 1 Tbs soy sauce
– 1-2 eggs

1. Chop the pork chops into small strips or cubes (about 1/4″ if possible).
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Once quite hot, add a touch of olive oil, distribute across the bottom of the pan, and throw in the meat. Top with sweet and sour sauce and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until decently browned.
3. Add the veggies and continue to stir-fry another 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice and top with soy sauce. Mix thoroughly.
5. Beat the egg[s] in a separate bowl and add to pan. Continue to stir until the egg is cooked and mixed into the fried rice (only about 2 minutes).
6. Ready to eat!

[Serves 2]

• What if I can’t find sweet and sour sauce? You should be able to find this pre-bottled in the international foods section of your grocery store- or just set a little aside the next time you order Sweet n Sour chicken. Otherwise, you can whip up your own in just a moment using brown sugar, vinegar and a touch of soy sauce. You can use cornstarch to thicken it, but I don’t typically promote such things.
• Dark soy sauce vs light soy sauce vs salt. There are differences between each, but basically light soy sauce is thinner and lighter flavored than dark and typically preferred for stir-frys. Surprisingly, though, quite a few fried rices in Asia actually use little to no soy sauce at all, and instead use a bit of salt. It’s worth a try for when you want to focus on other flavors in the dish.
• Egg methodology: I have simplified the egg process. The first couple of recipes I ever used specified frying the eggs first, then removing them from the pan and adding them back in at the end. After about a year of doing this, I stopped. My way, the egg really integrates and practically disappears into the rice, but if you prefer the more clearly separate pieces of fried egg in your rice, add the extra step.
• Chopping the pork. This is considerably easier if the pork chops are still mostly frozen when you slice and chop them. For me, it usually works out well if I put frozen chops in the refrigerator either the night before or the morning of cooking.

Being a left-overs dish, there’s countless variations to fried rice. Just pick your favorite combination of meats and veggies, add a bit of soy sauce and an egg and whip it up. In the meantime, here’s a few of my personal favorites from my Asia travels:

• Thai Pineapple Fried Rice: Fried rice with shrimp, chunks of pineapple and topped with chicken floss. (and often served in a hollowed-out pineapple!)
• Malaysian Nasi Goreng: a bit spicier, with shallots, chili, crispy ikan bilis (salted, dried anchovies) and topped with a fried egg.
• Korean Bibimbap: not so much a “fried rice” per se, but worth mentioning nonetheless- white rice topped with julienned vegetables, sliced beef and a raw egg. You mix it all together yourself before eating.