Recipe Low Sodium Pork Fried Rice

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I just made this, but I used tilapia instead of the pork (because I didn't feel like trimming down the pork shoulder I had, and because I had tilapia handy). This made for a lighter dish, but it should be noted that this is actually not as bad for you as the standard fried rice you might get from your nearby Chinese restaurant. For one thing, I don't use as much oil. For another, I substitute a significant amount of soy sauce with Chinkiang vinegar...a trick I've used before to keep the sodium down. When's the last time you had Chinese food that's only 3% of your daily allowance of sodium (and by that, I mean an entire plate, not just one bite)? Now, here's your chance to enjoy the flavor without the sodium.

The following nutritional information is as calculated from my recipe on food.com:

And now, the recipe:

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
1 ounce lime juice
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely minced
1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)
4 cups cooked white rice, cooled (instructions in Step 1 below)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon mirin
2 ounces water
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
2 ounces cilantro, minced

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add 2 cups of dry rice. Give a quick stir to break up clumps, then simmer for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove rice from pot and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the freezer until ready to use.
2. Cut the pork into 1 inch chunks. Rub pork with Chinese 5 Spice. Create a marinade with lime juice, 1 tablespoon of Chinkiang vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and a teaspoon of shredded cilantro. Place the pork in the marinade overnight, ideally using a vacuum sealer.
3. Put 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a wok or a large skillet, and turn heat to high. When it begins to shimmer, add onion, pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to a bowl.
4. Drain peas if necessary, and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Remove them to the bowl.
5. Put remaining canola oil in the skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. Stir constantly for about a minute.
6. Add pork to the pan and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Remove the pork and set aside.
7. Add the rice, breaking up clumps with a spoon as you go along and tossing it with oil. When the rice is well coated, make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Scramble these, then stir into the rice.
8. Return vegetables to the skillet and stir to integrate. Add mirin and water and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add additional Chinkiang vinegar and soy sauce if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in the cilantro and serve.

 

[Francesca]

@The Late Night Gourmet

Superbly splendid.

I think it would do very well with skinless boneless chicken too ..

Funny, my parents just gave me a "Wok" for a little present ..

I shall have to check out the Asian Market stalls at the Main Central La Boqueria ..

I am going to use chicken .. And 2 questions: Did you use a long grain rice ?

And 2ndly: Why 2 oils ? Why not just Sesame Oil ? Or a Rice Oil ?


Have a lovely evening ..

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

@The Late Night Gourmet
Superbly splendid.

I think it would do very well with skinless boneless chicken too ..

Funny, my parents just gave me a "Wok" for a little present ..

I shall have to check out the Asian Market stalls at the Main Central La Boqueria ..

I am going to use chicken .. And 2 questions: Did you use a long grain rice ?

And 2ndly: Why 2 oils ? Why not just Sesame Oil ? Or a Rice Oil ?
Have a lovely evening ..

Thank you for your kind words. I have used the same preparation with chicken thigh (though I suppose chicken breast would also work).

I always use long grain white rice for a stir fry. I think it would work just as well with a brown rice.

For the oils: I've forgotten that there are two types of sesame oils...regular sesame oil and toasted sesame oil. I did buy untoasted sesame oil once from an Indian grocery store, and I was surprised to find that it was no different from any other oil in flavor. But, toasted sesame oil (I used the kind shown below) has an amazing flavor profile. Besides being expensive ($4 for a small bottle, compared to about the same cost for a gallon of canola oil), the flavor would take over the dish if I used just that. So, I use canola oil - or some other neutral oil - for sauteeing, and the sesame oil for flavor.

 

[Francesca]

Thank you for your kind words. I have used the same preparation with chicken thigh (though I suppose chicken breast would also work).

I always use long grain white rice for a stir fry. I think it would work just as well with a brown rice.

For the oils: I've forgotten that there are two types of sesame oils...regular sesame oil and toasted sesame oil. I did buy untoasted sesame oil once from an Indian grocery store, and I was surprised to find that it was no different from any other oil in flavor. But, toasted sesame oil (I used the kind shown below) has an amazing flavor profile. Besides being expensive ($4 for a small bottle, compared to about the same cost for a gallon of canola oil), the flavor would take over the dish if I used just that. So, I use canola oil - or some other neutral oil - for sauteeing, and the sesame oil for flavor.

@The Late Night Gourmet

I shall get the toasted sesame oil and a long grain rice !!

Thank you very much ..

Have a lovely day ..