Char Siu Pork Fried Rice
叉燒炒飯·(chā shāo chǎo fàn)
Noodles & Rice: The Essential Carbs
Tuesday at eight p.m., the kitchen smells like nothing and takeout cornerstones—Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, and a grease-stained pint carton of Roast Pork Fried Rice—are still a thirty-minute wait. The secret to mastering this dark, lacquered staple packed with chunks of red-edged char siu comes down to three things: completely dehydrated day-old fridge rice, a heavy pour of oyster sauce, and knowing exactly how to make your soy sauce sizzle in the hot pan. Skip the paper takeout carton, get a wok smoking hot, and beat the delivery guy at his own game.
Before you start
Cook and chill the rice the night before.
Fresh rice contains too much moisture and will turn into a mushy, glutinous paste in the wok. Cook your jasmine rice the night before, spread it on a sheet pan to cool, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to dehydrate the grains.
Ingredients
- jasmine rice4 cup
- neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
- eggs3 large
- Chinese BBQ pork (char siu)1 cup
- yellow onion1/2 cup
- frozen peas and carrots3/4 cup
- scallions3 med
- light soy sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- dark soy sauce1 tsp
- Shaoxing rice wine1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- MSG1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Whisk the sauce ingredients together.
Stir-frying waits for no one, so combine your light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, and MSG in a small bowl before you turn on the heat.
- 02
Scramble the eggs.
Place your wok or the largest, widest non-stick skillet you own over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Pour in the beaten eggs, quickly scramble them with a spatula until just set but still slightly soft and streaky, then immediately remove to a clean plate.
- 03
Render the pork and aromatics.
Wipe the pan clean if necessary, crank the heat to high, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Toss in the diced char siu and yellow onion, stir-frying aggressively for 60 to 90 seconds to coax the sweet, red fat out of the pork edges without burning the sugars.
- 04
Fry the rice and vegetables.
Dump the cold, separated rice into the pan along with the frozen peas, carrots, and the white parts of the scallions. Use the back of your spatula to press the rice flat against the hot surface, let it sizzle for 15 seconds, then toss, repeating for about 2 minutes until heated through.
- 05
Sizzle the sauce to chase the wok hei.
Push the rice mixture slightly to the center of the pan, exposing the hot outer edges. Pour your prepared sauce around the bare, hot perimeter of the pan so it instantly boils and hisses, flash-caramelizing the soy sauce and burning off the alcohol before you quickly toss the rice into the bubbling sauce.
- 06
Mix in the eggs and scallion greens.
Add the cooked eggs back into the pan, chopping them into smaller ribbons with your spatula to distribute them evenly. Turn off the heat, toss in the green parts of the scallions, and serve immediately.
Notes
Embrace the MSG.
It is unapologetically utilized in authentic takeout to elevate the savoriness and make the dish taste like the greasy spoon you remember. If you absolutely must omit it, swap in a half teaspoon of white sugar to balance the harsh salts of the soy sauces.
Sourcing and substituting the Char Siu.
You can buy pre-roasted Char Siu at any Asian market's deli counter. If you cannot find it, a thick-cut, sweet glazed ham steak or thick-cut bacon works in a pinch, but the char siu fat is what gives this dish its soul.
Substituting the Shaoxing wine.
If unavailable, dry sherry is a nearly perfect one-to-one substitute that provides the same oxidized, slightly nutty flavor. Do not use Western cooking wines, which are heavily salted, or rice vinegar, which will ruin the dish.