Fried rice in Asian food is such a rustic food that is basically a combination of leftover rice with leftover anything to form a one-dish meal. And it actually brings out the beauty of fried rice – unlimited range of ingredients that can be used to create your own version of fried rice. This dish of baked pork chops with fried rice is one of them.

The essence of a good dish of fried rice is the rice itself. You might be surprised to learn that the perfect rice for making this is leftover rice. You have to put the freshly cooked rice in the fridge for at least a day. In that way, the rice will become firm and be easier to separate. If you go for freshly made rice, your dish will probably be pretty mushy. And that’s the reason why I always cook rice for more than we need, and have the leftover lying in the fridge for days.

This dish is basically pork chops with fried rice in tomato sauce. You cook the pork chops, make the tomato sauce, fried the rice, then make the tomato sauce. And finally layer everything before baking it. It may sound a little troublesome compared to any regular one-dish casserole, like this chicken paella I always made. But this dish is very delicious, comforting and very special, one of my family’s favorites. I believe it will become your too.

Ingredients (serves 6):
Pork Chops
6 pork chops
salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup canola oil
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped in small pieces
1 garlic clove, mashed
1 canned diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Fried Rice
3 tablespoons canola oil
8 bowls of leftover rice
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Directions:
Season pork chop with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork chops a piece at a time, first in flour, then in the beaten egg.
Heat oil and deep-fry the pork chops in medium high heat until slightly golden brown. Set aside.
To prepare the sauce, saute the garlic and the onions in oil in a saucepan until transparent without browning.
Add tomatoes, and saute until the tomatoes begin to soften.
Add salt, pepper, ketchup and oyster sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Thicken sauce with the cornstarch and water.
To prepare rice, heat oil in a separate wok until smoking. Add eggs, then add cooked rice and stir fry over high heat. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste.
Preheat oven to 375F. Put the fried rice on a large oven proof dish. Place the fried pork chops on top of the rice in a single layer. Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chop.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the sauce is slightly brown on top.