Super rice bowl: green vegetables, savory pork, spicy ginger, and a cheery topping of egg make a quick, flavorful dinner

Sunset, May, 2007 by Molly Watson

Pork and asparagus rice bowl

Cooking the pork and asparagus separately creates layers of flavor and makes this dish more elegant than most meals in a bowl.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

PREP AND COOK TIME 45 minutes

MAKES 4 to 6 servings

NOTES Read the recipe through before starting, so you'll be ready to do the prep work while the rice and eggs are cooking.

4 eggs
2 cups medium-grain or sushi rice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup sake
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce,
    divided
1 piece ginger, about 4 in. long
3 cloves garlic
6 green onions
2 bunches asparagus
2 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil, divided
1 cup chicken broth

1. Put eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When water boils, cover, turn off heat, and let sit 14 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Transfer eggs to ice water and set aside.

2. While eggs are cooking, in a second medium saucepan bring rice, salt, and 3 cups water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes. Take off heat, still covered, and let sit 5 minutes.

3. While rice is coming to a boil and eggs are sitting, mix together pork, sake, and 2 tbsp. tamari in a small bowl. Peel and grate ginger. Put 1 tbsp. ginger in with the pork; put remainder in a small bowl and set aside.

4. While rice is cooking, peel and roughly chop garlic and chop green onions; add both to bowl of ginger. Trim woody ends off asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces, and set aside.

5. While rice is sitting, in a large frying pan over high heat add 1 tbsp. oil and pork mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, fluff rice with a fork and divide evenly between 4 to 6 bowls and set them near the stove. Top rice with pork and pan juices, dividing evenly.

6. Return pan to heat and add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, reserved ginger, garlic, and green onions. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and remaining 1 tsp. tamari and stir to combine. Add broth, cover, and cook until asparagus is just tender to the bite, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. While asparagus cooks, pat eggs dry, peel, and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Divide asparagus and pan juices evenly between bowls of rice and pork. Top each serving with slices of egg and serve immediately.

PER SERVING 690 CAL., 39% (270 CAL.) FROM FAT; 31 G PROTEIN; 30 G FAT (9.3 G SAT.); 70 G CARBO (2.6 G FIBER); 802 MG SODIUM; 235 MG CHOL.

Variations

Ground turkey Substitute 1 lb. for the pork for a leaner dinner.

Brown rice Use medium-grain brown rice for a nutty and healthful departure from white rice (increase cooking time for the rice to 30 minutes).

In place of the asparagus, use any of the following in step 6:

Fresh spinach 20 oz., rinsed and any tough stems removed (reduce chicken broth to 1/4 cup)

Green beans 1 lb., ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces

Broccoli 2 medium heads, cut into 1-in. florets (increase cooking time to about 4 minutes)

Baby bok choy 4 heads, separated into individual leaves

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEO GONG