Should I Cook It?

This is the moment most people quit → a Pork Fried Rice recipe that calls for mirin.

You don’t own it. You don’t plan to buy it. You’re brain says, “Guess we’re not making that.”

Welcome to the club.

But hang on. You’ve solved harder problems than this.

The Fix

If you’ve cooked even a little, you know something important: you don’t always need the exact ingredient. You just need to understand what the ingredient (that you don’t have) was trying to do.

In this case: mirin is sweet and a little sharp. That’s solvable. Like sugar and vinegar. What vinegar? Rice wine vinegar is a good fit. Play on!

Overcome that tiny pause enough times and you stop seeing stop signs and start committing. It’s exactly what our Bravery Drops are about.

Little kitchen challenges. Not to prove anything to anyone. Just to remind you that a little bravery goes a long way in the kitchen. Pork Fried Rice recipe below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Pork Fried Rice – EP #67

Watch On YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/NGSugjHeD8c

Recipe Adapted From: The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson

Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• Finely diced vegetables (1 bell pepper, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 onion, 1 large carrot)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (or use 1 tbsp. sugar with 3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar → see steps below)
• 2 pork loin chops – seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cups cooked rice
• Chopped spring onions or cilantro

Steps

Heat oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Add mirin (if using substitute: add sugar and stir until melted. Then add rice wine vinegar). Let the mirin (or vinegar) bubble and reduce. Vegetables out of wok and into a bowl. Pork goes in wok. Give it time to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low. Cooked vegetables go back in wok. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and cooked rice. Stir to combine. Top with chopped spring onions or cilantro.

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Yes or No? Would You Cook It?

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What They’re Saying on YouTube:

Just found you. Great tips. Made me stop and watch several videos and definitely learned some things! This is a great option as someone who just learned what mirin is and now have it in my fridge! – @McNeelyMegan

Sugar + a splash of white wine would be better and more closely match what the mirin would bring – @velomonkey

My response: Another great option. Will change the flavor compared to what I used here.

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