Pao Cai Chao Fan

Before you start

• Start with dry, day-old rice.

  The secret to distinct, separated grains in any fried rice is starch retrogradation. Cook your rice the day before and let it dry out overnight in the fridge.

• Squeeze your pickles.

  Excess moisture is the enemy of a hot wok. Squeezing the excess brine from the Pao Cai ensures a beautifully dry, separated fried rice.

Ingredients

• cooked white rice3 cup
• eggs2 large
• Sichuan Pao Cai1 cup
• ground pork5 oz
• rendered pork fat or neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
• garlic2 med
• fresh ginger1 tsp
• scallions2 med
• Sichuan peppercorns1 tsp
• dried red chilies2 med
• light soy sauce1 tbsp
• ground white pepper1/4 tsp
• sugar1/4 tsp

Method

1. 01

   Scramble the eggs quickly in hot fat.

   Heat your wok or a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the fat. Pour in the beaten eggs, scramble until just set but still soft (about 30 seconds), then immediately remove to a plate so they don't turn rubbery.

2. 02

   Fry the ground pork until the moisture completely evaporates.

   Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of fat to the wok. Add the pork and flatten it out. Cook past the point where it simply turns grey—wait until the bubbling turns into a sharp sizzling crackle and the pork begins browning in its own rendered fat. This takes patience but builds the savory foundation of the dish.

3. 03

   Bloom the aromatics in the rendered pork fat.

   Push the browned pork to one side. Drop the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilies into the hot fat and fry for 15 seconds until intensely fragrant, then mix them thoroughly into the pork.

4. 04

   Fry the squeezed pickles to release their aroma.

   Add the diced Pao Cai to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute to cook off any raw brine flavors and release their bright, sour essence.

5. 05

   Add the cold rice and toss over high heat.

   Turn the heat to high. Add the cold rice, pressing it into the hot metal with your spatula to separate the grains. Toss vigorously. Pour the light soy sauce down the hot side of the wok—not directly on the rice—so it sizzles and mimics wok hei.

6. 06

   Season, return the eggs, and finish with scallion greens.

   Add the white pepper, sugar, and cooked eggs, breaking the eggs up with your spatula as you toss. Taste a grain of rice for salt (the pickles are inherently salty, so you likely won't need much). Toss in the scallion greens, give it a few more flips off the heat, and serve immediately.

Notes

• Do not substitute Korean Kimchi for Sichuan Pao Cai.

  Kimchi is fantastic, but its heavy garlic, gochugaru, and fermented seafood paste fundamentally alters this dish. Look for vacuum-sealed packets of Sichuan pickled yardlong beans (酸豇豆) or mustard greens (酸菜) at your local Asian market.

• You do not need a commercial wok burner to make this work.

  A standard flat-bottomed skillet on a residential stove works entirely fine. To mimic commercial wok hei, let the rice sit undisturbed for 10-15 seconds at a time to toast against the hot metal before tossing.