Recipes Dinner Rice Dishes Pork Fried Rice 4.8 (4) 5 Reviews Chef Takashi Yagihashi's Japanese-style pork fried rice comes together incredibly fast, thanks to quick-cooking Chinese barbecued pork. By Takashi Yagihashi Takashi Yagihashi Why Because his dishes exquisitely combine French and Japanese ideas. Born Mito, Japan, 1957. Experience Yoshi's Cafe and Ambria in Chicago. Early food memory "I grew up only 10 miles from the ocean, so we had lots of fresh seafood. Fish was very cheap, meat was very expensive so nobody ever fed me beef or lamb." Favorite childhood restaurants "Western food was very rare in my town, so McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken were high-end." Least favorite food "Okay, I'm not crazy about ketchup. But I like mayonnaise." A rule in his kitchen His line cooks are forbidden to have soft drinks while they're working. "I think it ruins their palates." What he'd be if he weren't a chef A "Pat Metheny-style" guitarist. Favorite restaurants Savarin and Arun in Chicago. What he does when he's not working Spends time with his wife and three children, ages eight, five and one. "I cook traditional Japanese food; the kids like it. My son's favorite is sukiyaki. He calls it brown meat.'" Won Best New Chef at: Tribute, Farmington Hills, MI Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 15, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Maxwell Cozzi Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe This Japanese-style pork fried rice from 2000 F&W Best New Chef Takashi Yagihashi was his favorite childhood after-school snack. Thanks to the clever inclusion of quick-cooking Chinese barbecue pork, it comes together in just 25 minutes, making this pork fried rice recipe one that you'll find yourself turning to on busy weeknights. The leftover fried rice makes a lovely lunch or, yes, after-school snack. 22 Sizzling-Hot Fried Rice Recipes With Pineapple, Prawns, Pork, and More Frequently Asked Questions What is Chinese barbecued pork? Chinese barbecued pork, or char siu in Cantonese, can be made from various meat cuts. It's first marinated in a barbecue sauce that typically contains Chinese five-spice powder, honey, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and oyster sauce, then roasted until it's exceptionally tender. What is the best rice to use in fried rice? While this recipe calls for short-grain Japanese rice, some cooks prefer frying rice with a longer grain and less starch, such as jasmine rice. The real key to great fried rice, regardless of what kind you're using, is to start with cold, already-cooked rice. Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Since you'll need six cups of cold cooked rice to make this recipe, it's best to cook the rice a day in advance and refrigerate it overnight. However, you can still prepare pork fried rice for dinner tonight even if you didn't plan ahead. Simply cook the rice as normal, then spread it onto a sheet pan in an even layer. Let it cool a bit, then cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before proceeding. Suggested pairing A spicy yet smooth Aussie Shiraz. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 3 tablespoons soy sauce 5 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening 3/4 pound Chinese barbecued pork, half cut into 1/2-inch dice and half sliced 1/3-inch thick 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 2 large shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced 1 carrot, cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 head baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 6 cups cold cooked Japanese short-grain rice 2 scallions, thinly sliced Pinch of freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt 1/4 cup pickled ginger Directions Maxwell Cozzi Gather the ingredients. Maxwell Cozzi In a small bowl, stir the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Maxwell Cozzi Heat a very large skillet. Add the shortening and let melt. Add the diced pork and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Maxwell Cozzi Add the peas, shiitakes, carrot, and bok choy and stir-fry until tender. Maxwell Cozzi Add the eggs and scramble just until set. Maxwell Cozzi Stir in the cooked rice, scallions, soy sauce mixture, and pepper; stir-fry until the rice is hot. Maxwell Cozzi Spoon the fried rice into bowls, top with the sliced pork and pickled ginger, and serve. Originally appeared: January 2007 Rate It Print