Meat-Lover Fusion Fried Rice - Budget Recipes

By Raj Dash

This extremely hearty, rib-sticking dish is great for warming you up on cool nights. It combines food ingredients from several cultures, including Chinese, East Indian, North American and others. It started as a way to use up leftover meats and rice, but turned into its own unique variation of Chinese fried rice.
Equipment

• Wok is preferred but a large non-stick frying pan will do.
• Second frying pan to make omellette.

General notes

• The white steamed rice should be prepared the previous night, or at least cooled for a few hours. Fluff it up with a fork while it is hot, to prevent clumping when it has cooled. [If it's too clumpy when you cook the next day, break it up gently with a wooden spatula.]
• The original version of this recipe is very spicy and uses halapeno peppers. This is optional, but if used, add them at the same time as the onions and mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil (canola, vegetable oil), used in two batches.
• 1/2 - 1 Oktoberfest sausage, cut into thick, bite-sized discs, then cut in halves or quarters. Substitute with spicy Italian sausage, if necessary.
• Any leftover meats (ham, roast beef, turkey, chicken, Vietnamese nem nuong bbq pork sausage), shredded or diced into bite-sized pieces. If you are using more than one meat, shred one and dice the other, for richness of texture. The quantity is up to you.
• 2 tbsp onion, diced
• 1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup mixed bell peppers, small diced (optional)
• 1 small halapeno or other hot pepper, sliced (optional). Remove the seeds if you don't want too much heat. Use a fork and knife to slice the pepper. If you use your hand, wash it in soap and water right away to avoid accidentally touching your face (or someone else's).
• 1/8 cup green peas, thawed (optional)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• white wine to deglaze
• 1-egg omellete, made thinly, shredded into bite-size ribbons (about 1-2 inches long).
• Crushed red pepper flake (optional)
• 1 cup rice, cooked. If rice is in clumps, break up with a wooden spatula, not a fork.
• 1 stalk green onion, sliced finely on a bias.
• The measurement for the above ingredients produce enough of a side dish for 2-3 people, or a large meal for one.

Preparation

• Heat the wok or a very large non-stick frying pan with 1-2 tbsp of cooking oil.
• Add the raw meats and saute for 1-2 minutes. Then add any leftover/cooked meat and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add onions and mushrooms and saute for 1 minute. If these veggies stick, add a very little bit (1 tbsp) of white wine to deglaze. Let the wine evaporate almost completely before continuing.
• Add another tbsp of cooking oil. Swirl it around the pan and let it heat up, about 1 minute.
• Add bell peppers, halapenos, and peas (if desired), and saute for 1 minute.
• Add shredded omellette and toss.
• Add salt & black pepper to taste. Add the red pepper flake, if desired.
• Add rice and break up with a wooden spatula, if necessary. Toss to distribute all the ingredients throughout the rice. Do not leave the rice on the heat for more than 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat. Add chopped green onions and toss to mix.

Serving
Serve as a main course with a garnish of finely-diced tomatoes and onions, or a side of bean sprout and mushroom stir-fry. (Alternately, you could add bean sprouts to the dish while its still on the heat, just after the rice. This will add some texture.) Keep in mind that this is a high-protein AND high-carb dish. Some diets do not recommend mixing the two.
(c) Copyright 2005-present, Raj Kumar Dash

Raj Kumar Dash, also known as the very opinionated Elvis Parsley, the "Curry" Elvis, was taught cooking at his mother's side. A trained cook, he writes about various world cuisines, the health-related aspects of food, food TV shows, and pretty much anything related to the food industry. You can find his new food site (still in revision) at http://www.curryelvis.com/, and four older cooking blog archives by starting at http://curryelviscooks.blogspot.com/.

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