Pork Fried Rice — The Boxing Day After Brayden’s First Christmas

Mama arrived in Tulsa Thursday afternoon. She is staying with us through New Year’s — nine nights in the apartment, sleeping on the daybed in the room we still call the office even though the office stuff is mostly stacked against the far wall to make room for Brayden’s changing table and the rocking chair Aunt Linda had given us at the baby shower. Brayden is eleven weeks old. He has just started to track Mama’s face across the room and he turns toward her voice when she talks from the kitchen.

Christmas Eve at the cafe in Sapulpa — we drive in for the late lunch shift Friday. Cody is running the kitchen alone now most days, though Mama is back in the cafe two or three mornings a week. The Christmas Eve menu was small: a chicken-and-dressing plate, a glazed-ham plate, pinto beans, cornbread, and a single dessert (sweet potato pie). The dining room was full at noon and again at one and again at two. Brayden slept in his car seat in the corner booth where Mama could keep an eye on him between tables. Cody came out of the kitchen twice between rushes to hold him.

Christmas Day at our apartment in Tulsa. Dustin’s parents drove up from Memphis Wednesday and stayed at the Hampton Inn across from the mall. They came to our place at nine in the morning Christmas Day with the half-finished pale-yellow blanket Dustin’s mom had been knitting since the baby shower — she finished the last six rows in our living room while Brayden napped on her chest. Mama made breakfast (biscuits, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs). Dustin’s dad sat in the recliner with Brayden propped on a pillow against his knees and read him “Goodnight Moon” three times in a row.

Sunday is Boxing Day. Mama and I are making pork fried rice from the Christmas-ham scraps Dustin’s mom had wrapped in foil and sent home with us Wednesday evening — the bone-end pieces and the small dice that doesn’t portion into a sandwich. Mama had said when she taught me the recipe years ago that fried rice was invented for the day after a feast and that Boxing Day was the most logical day on the calendar to make it. Brayden will be on a play mat on the kitchen floor while we cook. Mama and I will trade places at the wok depending on which of us he wants attention from at that minute.

Pork Fried Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups cooked white rice, day-old preferred
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pork. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook 4—5 minutes, turning once, until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Scramble the eggs. Add a small drizzle of oil to the pan if needed. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble quickly over medium heat until just set, about 1 minute. Break into small pieces and push to the side of the pan.
3. Saute aromatics and vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the peas and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes until heated through.
4. Add the rice. Add the cold cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a spatula. Press the rice into the pan and let it sit undisturbed for 1—2 minutes to develop a little color, then toss everything together.
5. Season and finish. Return the cooked pork and scrambled eggs to the pan. Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over everything and toss well to combine. Cook another 1—2 minutes until everything is heated through and evenly coated.
6. Garnish and serve. Remove from heat and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 410 | Protein: 30g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg