That loin of pork makes it's final appearance. I planned ahead and made rice the day before, one of very few times I've done that, but it was worth it! I've tried making fried rice with freshly cooked rice and it just doesn't work. I picked up a red pepper, mushrooms and Shanghai Bok Choi to go in the rice. I've never tried the Shanghai Bok Choi so I'm trusting that it doesn't have some noxious flavor. I diced and sliced everything before starting cooking which sure made cooking a lot easier.
First I browned the onions to golden color. Then I added the carrots and sweated them slightly before adding the finely diced red pepper. Sweat that a bit before adding the mushrooms. Finally add the meat and bok choi, then start adding soy sauce to the mix. When everything is thoroughly sauced add the rice and toss together.
It was delicious! More delicious than I usually get with the same technique, which gave me pause. There was one small difference in the way this meal was prepared compared to the usual. Fern was power washing the concrete deck and it was taking far longer than he planned. As a result I had everything prepped and sitting on the counter for about an hour before I actually cooked it (the meat was already roasted). I noticed when I went up the stairs to start cooking that the smell of freshly cut vegetables left a sweetness hanging in the air. It is clear to me now that having all ingredients at room temperature before cooking significantly improves flavor. I had been told to have everything at room temperature but never why. Now I know it makes a big difference in the final product.
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