Hong Kong Style Baked Tomato Pork Chop Rice

Hong Kong Style Baked Tomato Pork Chop Rice

• April 12, 2016

Whenever I'm in Hong Kong for a holiday, I love getting a meal in at a Cha Chan Teng, a cafe culture that is uniquely Hong Kong. 

One of my favourite cafe orders has to be a Hong Kong style baked tomato pork chop rice loaded with a delicious golden cheesy top. It's such a comforting food and we all know how tomato and cheese is a great combination.

When the lovely people at Cirio* sent me a range of their tomatoey goodies, I knew this baked rice would be the perfect dish to make at home. Tomatoes are not just great in Italian cuisine, it's used loads in Chinese and Asian food too.

The dish isn't difficult to make but it does take a little time as all the components have to be prepared separately. We'll need to make some fried rice, precook the pork chops, make the tomato sauce, add the layers together in an ovenproof dish and bake until the cheese is nice and golden.

Gather your ingredients.

Using the back of a kitchen knife or cleaver, smash the pork chop all over, this will tenderise the chops.

Marinade the pork chops with white pepper, sesame oil, soya sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and oil.

To make the fried rice, add in oil and once it's hot, throw in cooked rice and break up any large clumps with the back of spatula/wooden spoon. Make a well in the middle of the rice and add in the eggs. Let it slowly scramble, then add in some soya sauce, sesame oil, white pepper. Mix the egg with rice, bringing everything together, and keep frying until the eggs are cooked through and the rice is popping from the heat of the pan.

Layer the fried rice in an ovenproof dish.

Turn heat on high, add some oil to the pan the pan fry the pork chops for 5 minutes on each side, the cornflour in the marinade will help crisp the outside.

Turn the heat down to medium, add in half a cup of water and put the lid on for another 5 minutes or so to cook the insides. Once the pork chops are cooked through, take the lid off and turn heat back onto high. This will evaporate the water and re-crisp the sides of the chops.

Once cooked, set the pork chops to one side.

Make the tomato sauce and once it's ready, throw the chops in and simmer for a few minutes.

Lay the chops on top of the rice and spoon tomato sauce all over. I ended up only using half the sauce made as I didn't want the rice too wet. The sauce can be saved to one side and you can pour more on when serving.

Scatter grated cheese all over the top and bake in a preheated oven at 250C degrees for 7 minutes, then turn on the grill function for 3 minutes.

And the cheesy Hong Kong style baked tomato pork chop rice is ready! Look out that golden and tomatoey deliciousness waiting to be tucked into.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
3 large cups cooked rice (overnight rice is even better)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp sesame
1 tbsp soya sauce
Few dashes white pepper

Directions:
1. Add in oil pan and once it's hot, throw in cooked rice and break up any large clumps with the back of spatula/wooden spoon
2. Make a well in the middle of the rice and add in the eggs. Let it slowly scramble, then add in some soya sauce, sesame oil, white pepper
3. Mix the egg with rice, bringing everything together, and keep frying until the eggs are cooked through and the rice is popping from the heat of the pan


Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water

Directions:
1. Marinade the pork chops with the above ingredients except the 2 tbsp oil and water. Set aside whilst making the fried rice
2. Heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil, and turn the heat on high. Pan fry the pork chops for 5 minutes on each side, the cornflour in the marinade will help crisp the outside
3. Turn the heat down to medium, add in half a cup of water and put the lid on for another 5 minutes or so to steak cook the insides
4. Once the pork chops are cooked through, take the lid off and turn heat back onto high. This will evaporate the water and re-crisp the sides of the chops. Once cooked, set the pork chops to one side


Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can tomatoes
1/2 can water
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sugar

Directions:
1. Add the tomato and water to the pan and bring to a boil. Add all the seasoning in, mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes
2. Bring the pork chops into the tomato sauce and simmer for another few minutes then take off the heat


To Assemble

Layer the bottom of an oven proof dish with fried rice, then add the pork chops and half the amount of tomato sauce. Scatter grated cheese all over the top and bake in a preheated oven at 250C degrees for 7 minutes, then turn on the grill function for 3 minutes.


*Products were sent to me to review, recipe is my own