Pork fried Rice take-out style

[rook9566]

My favorite dish ever is pork fried rice. I don't know why I just love it. I'd love to cook it at home, but the problem is, it never tastes the same. I can't pin-point why. I have tried dozens of recipes and they have all failed. What is it with PFR that I am missing? I realize that the food you get at the local take-out isn't authentic chinese cuisine. I know it is probably loaded with MSG and it's not healthy for me. I don't care. I want to make it like they do. What's the secret? Is it the rice? Is it the soy sauce? MSG? I don't want an authentic the-way-they-do-it-in-China recipe or a healthy alternative.

Anyone know of a recipe or even a cook book?

[kitchenelf]

Hi rook,

Try this recipe - you can use pork, shrimp, beef, or all!! I think it's a P. F. Chang copycat recipe but I can't really remember.

1/4 teaspoon ground superfine mustard
1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
1 teaspoon molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce (more added at table as desired)
Canola cooking spray
1/3 cup egg substitute
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups pork, shrimp, beef, or vegetables
3/4 cup petite green peas, frozen (or bean sprouts)
3/4 cup baby carrots, cut into matchstick or thin strips
2 cups steamed rice
2 to 3 green onions, chopped (use only white part or
white plus some of the green if desired)

In a small bowl or cup, blend mustard, ginger, garlic and molasses. Stir in soy sauce and set aside.

Heat a large, nonstick frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Spray center generously with canola cooking spray. Pour egg substitute in the middle of pan and tilt to spread egg out. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top if desired. Once the underside is lightly browned, flip egg over and cook about a minute longer or until bottom is lightly browned. Cut into small pieces with knife and set aside.

Spray more canola oil into pan and heat over medium heat. Add pork, beef, or shrimp - cooking times will vary - shrimp won't take long at all - is using shrimp let sizzle for about a minute, pork and beef cook about 3-4 minutes depending on size. Add peas and carrots and stir-fry, tossing occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until meat/seafood of choice is warmed throughout. Add steamed rice, stir and let cook about a minute.

Drizzle the soy-sauce mixture over the top of rice mixture, stir, and let cook another minute or two. Turn off heat and stir in green onion and pieces of egg. Serve, offering additional soy sauce at the table, if desired.

Servings: 2

[bugz]

In my humble experience with chinese food, the thing that everybody keeps missing is the "yin and yang" seasoning. This means that every time you add some salt or salted ingredient, such as soy sauce, you MUST add some sugar too.

I've experienced using only salt in my chinese dishes, but they all lack that "chinese restaurant" flavor. Then add the required amount of sugar and guess what, they turn out great.

The amount of sugar to add is to your own responsability and taste, but I keep it a little less than the salt amount. It really makes THAT difference.

[kitchenelf]

Excellent point!!! I was out visiting our favorite hangout tonight and was talking to another avid cook and we talked about sugar being just as important in recipes as salt. I make this ministrone and it is VERY detectable when I forget the sugar.

Thanks bugz!! 8)

[billhoo]

Coming from a chinese family, the key to making fried rice is to use DAY OLD rice. Never cook rice and immediately use in fried rice. It must be cured first. A day in the refrigerator is enough.

Remember, fried rice was created as a quick meal made from leftovers for poor working class. We're not talking high gourmet here.

Chop up leftover meat (chicken, beef, chinese roast pork, shrimp, ham - Spam if you want to do it Hawaiian style- - I don't see much lamb), some onion (grean onions are more authentic, yellow have been used in my home and at take-out places). Some frozen mixed veggies.

I start by sauteeing the veggies in a little peanut oil to be authentic, but I've also used corn or canola oil. If using yellow onion, chop coarsely, and start sauteeing now til the edges are transparent. If using scallion, wait until the end of cooking.

Toss in the meat to warm it up.

Toss in the rice and get it hot. Keep stirring to distribute the heat. When ther rice is fairly hot, drop a lightly beaten egg into it. (if you don't have much meat, use more egg to increase protien content) Wait a minute to allow some to set and then stir to break it up and have some rice stick to it.

NOTE on the Egg: Some styles cook the egg first - scrambled hard and then chopped and set aside to be added last. My family drops it into the rice cooks it into the rice. I've seen some regional fried ric where they use no eggs at all.

Don't worry about cooking the egg all the way. Residual heat should cook it through. Last toss in the chopped scallion and turn off heat. Stir it around. For those who like the light fried rice, serve as is. If you like it dark, srinkle nor more than a teaspoon of LITE Soy sauce. Dark, or Superior Soy Sauce is too strong in flavor.

Ready to eat! Though not traditional, I like to drizzle a tablespoon of honey on mine, but I'm wierd like that.

-Bill

[BubbaGourmet]

Bill;
Thanks for the day old rice tip. Found that one ut fr myself by accident a few years ago and now we always make outr rice for fried rice the day before. Didn't know that it was the right way to do it...just knew it came out better that way for us.

[scott123]

Here's my two cents :)

The real secret to pork fried rice is two things: the msg (which you know) and the pork. If the pork is pink/red colored, which I'm guessing it is, it's probably boneless pork shoulder that's been cooked like spareribs and then cut into small pieces. It's the exact same pork that's the secret for egg rolls and wontons and loads of other chinese restaurant dishes. Once you figure out the pork recipe, you're well on your way. And, if you do, please let me know. I've been trying to figure it out for years.

[kitchenelf]

scott - you are in luck!! LOL The process to get the pork that way is called "red cooked". You can do chicken the same way. Just do a google search for "red cooked pork" or red cooked chicken" that should help.

[scott123]

Red cooked pork! Really.

You learn something every day.

Thanks.

[ironchef]

the red pork that is used is called "char siu". it's basically a chinese roast pork. i believe in most asian sections of larger supermarkets, you can buy packaged char siu mix to marinated your pork with. just follow the directions on the package