Pork Fried Rice with Velveted Pork

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Day-old rice, a screaming-hot skillet, and one small trick — a five-minute cornstarch-and-soy velvet on thin pork strips — turn a fridge-clearing dinner into something that tastes like the takeout counter charged you $19 for it. The whole stir-fry runs about six minutes, so everything gets prepped in bowls before the pan ever gets hot.

Ingredients

• 12 oz boneless pork loin or pork shoulder, sliced 1/8-inch thick against the grain
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 4 cups cooked long-grain white or jasmine rice, cold from the fridge
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, no need to thaw
• 4 scallions, whites and greens sliced separately
• Chili oil or sriracha, for serving

Instructions

1. Velvet the pork: put the sliced pork in a bowl and add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, baking soda, and sesame oil. Mix with your hands for 30 seconds until every strip is slick and no dry cornstarch remains. Let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the fridge). The baking soda raises the surface pH so the muscle can't tighten, and the cornstarch seals in juice — this is why restaurant pork never goes chalky.
2. Break up the rice: dump the cold rice onto a sheet pan and rub it between your fingers until there are no clumps larger than a pea. Cold, separated grains are non-negotiable; warm rice steams into paste.
3. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it, the rice, the eggs, and all the aromatics within arm's reach of the stove — the cook time is 6 minutes and there is no pausing.
4. Heat a 12-inch carbon steel skillet, cast iron, or wok over high heat for 2 minutes, until a drop of water skitters and vanishes instantly. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl, then add the pork in a single layer. Let it sit undisturbed 45 seconds to sear, then stir-fry 60 to 90 seconds more, just until no pink remains. Scrape it onto a plate.
5. Add 1 more tablespoon oil, pour in the beaten eggs, and let them puff for 15 seconds. Scramble with your spatula into large soft curds, about 30 seconds total, then move them to the plate with the pork. Pull them while still glossy; they'll finish cooking later.
6. Add the last tablespoon of oil along with the onion and frozen peas and carrots. Stir-fry 2 minutes over high heat until the onion turns translucent at the edges and the vegetables are hot through. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
7. Add the rice and press it against the pan in an even layer for 30 seconds to let it toast, then toss. Repeat the press-and-toss twice more, about 2 minutes total, until the grains are hot and starting to pop and dance in the pan.
8. Pour the sauce around the rim of the pan rather than into the middle so it sizzles and caramelizes on contact. Toss hard for 45 seconds until every grain is evenly tan with no wet patches.
9. Return the pork and eggs to the pan, add the scallion greens, and toss 30 seconds just to reheat and break the eggs into bite-size pieces. Taste and add a splash more soy sauce if it needs salt. Serve immediately, with chili oil at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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