Chinese Fried Rice

Last weekend I wanted to make a nice dinner for Allan while he was visiting.  I had a tasty flank steak marinating in my secret recipe (kidding, not secret, I'll share it below), and it has a lot of Asian-inspired flavors.  I had a flashback to my teen years when my dad would make his pork fried rice.  It always tasted so good.  I emailed my Pa Dukes to ask for the recipe so I could try to make it.  It was a labor love, but it came out dericious!  So dericious, in fact, that both Allan and I started craving it in the middle of our workout the next day.  This recipe is full of some good carbs and fats and has a decent amount of protein, too.

Chinese Fried Rice

3/4 C dry rice, parboiled until very al dente (under cook and don't stir)

Peanut oil

Sesame oil

4 oz. finely chopped protein (pork, shrimp, chicken, whateva)

1/2 C coarsely chopped onion

1/2 C sliced celery

1/2 C coarsely julienned carrots

1/2 C coarsely chopped bell pepper

1 can of sliced water chestnuts (optional - I despise water chestnuts, so I left them out)

2 chopped green onions 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs at room temp

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp of dry mustard

white pepper to taste

low sodium soy sauce to taste

First use a hot skillet or wok...work over medium to high heat...not low otherwise the stuff will just stew.

In 1-2 Tbsp of peanut oil and saute the pork/shrimp/chicken bits until brown and crispy...remove from the pan, but leave the "crud" (my dad's word, not mine) in the bottom of the pan to then saute the onion until translucent...then add celery, carrots, bell pepper, water chestnuts, green onions, and saute until until just barely wilted.  Add the pork bits back to the mix and finally the minced garlic...do not burn.

Move the ingredients to the perimeter of the pan, then add 1-2 Tbsp of sesame oil to the pan, then stir in the under-cooked rice, sauteing over medium to high heat (it should crackle)...use spatula to keep from sticking.  Add a bit more peanut oil if necessary, but not too much or it will get greasy and sticky.  

Add the ginger, mustard, and white pepper (you can also use Schiracha sauce) to taste (it should be a bit piquante).  When the rice has been fried, so that it is coated with all of the crud and sesame oil, move all ingredients to the outside perimeter of the pan again leaving a bare space in the center.  Crack 2 eggs into the space and let the heat begin to cook the eggs then very coarsely scramble.

When the eggs are done, stir everything together and douse with soy sauce to your taste.

The texture should allow you to recognize all of the ingredients and the veggies should be cooked but still al dente.

I used a regular saute pan for this; the next day I IMMEDIATELY went out and bought a wok.  Unless you have a HUGE saute pan, this recipe is a pain in the ass.  It was tough to move everything around in the pan without sloshing something over the side or burning something.  If you're going to use a pan, make sure it's big...........like, really big.  

Asian Flank Steak Marinade
1/2 c red wine
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c raw honey
1 T fresh ginger (seriously, don't use powder, you jerks)
1/2 t red pepper flakes (optional - can use more or less depending on how hot you like it)
Salt/pepper