This technique for cooking leftover BBQ was among the earliest posts in my first food blog. I would have retained it but the hard drive where the original photos were stored went kaput so many years ago.
I’d forgotten about it to be honest but, last night as we were finishing dinner, there was one stick of pork BBQ and a portion of a chicken quarter (breast portion) that we didn’t finish, and I decided to revive that long lost pork BBQ fried rice post. That was what we would have for late breakfast the following day.
Why do I call grilled skewered meat BBQ? That’s what it’s called in the Philippines, not sate (satay). Just another reminder that this country was once an American colony.
Is the BBQ home cooked? No, we had the pork and chicken delivered. In the suburb where I live, good food is rare unless home cooked but we recently discovered a place called Lutong Parilla (literally, cooked on the grill) and we have become real fans. Good price, generous servings and their cooks are really quite good at not overcooking the meat.
But why is grilled skewered meat good for fried rice? The meat is already seasoned and fully cooked. That shortens prep and cooking time. But the best reason for me is the smokiness. It really transforms fried rice.
Here’s how I did it. Remember that this is about a technique for cooking leftover grilled skewered meat. There is no recipe because of so many combinations that can work. So, just cut the cold meat into small pieces. For the vegetables, we had carrot (which I precooked in the microwave to shorten the stir frying time), scallions and garlic. You may choose your own vegetable combination. A few suggestions:
Eggs. We like eggs in our fried rice. Not a must though. But if you’re going to add eggs, it’s a good idea season them separately. Salt will do but if you want more nuance, go for a fermented seasoning like soy sauce or fish sauce.
I used soy sauce. I whisk the eggs and seasoning(s), and poured them into a hot pan coated lightly with oil. I stirred around then used my spatula to break the eggs into small pieces.
Then, the cold leftover BBQ and vegetables were thrown in. The carrot pieces had been pre-cooked so the meat and vegetables were heated through in under a minute. The rice went in next (I added crispy garlic too). More soy sauce was drizzled over the rice before everything was tossed together.
What about garnish? It’s optional but I went ahead and sprinkled in furikake and toasted sesame seeds.
