PORK FRIED RICE (for four)

3 cups cold cooked long-grain white rice

½ pound pork shoulder

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 eggs

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 cup bean sprouts

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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1. Keep the rice in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the fried rice.
2. Cut the pork into strips 1 inch long by 1/8 inch thick. Mix the pork with the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, salt, baking soda and cornstarch.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the sesame oil and salt and set aside.
3. Heat a wok or deep skillet over medium heat until hot. Swirl in 2 tablespoons peanut oil and, when it is hot, pour in the egg mixture and quickly stir-fry until they just begin to set, about 20 seconds, then scramble and break them into small pieces with a wooden spoon.  Continue to cook stirring constantly, until the eggs are cooked through but not browned, about 1 minute longer.  Transfer eggs to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Return wok to high heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and when it is hot, toss in the pork and stir-fry 1 minute. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon.  Dump in the cold rice and stir-fry 5 minutes over high heat.  Finally, add the eggs, scallions, lettuce, bean sprouts and the partially cooked pork.  Continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, turn rice out onto a platter and serve at once.

 

adapted from Ken Hom, Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood