You'll Never Look at Fried Rice the Same Way

Home cooks around the world revere fried rice as the supreme leftover receptacle, a vacuum for whatever meat scraps or wilted vegetables are hogging fridge space. But if you’re craving a more enticing version of this #WasteNot stalwart, we’d suggest giving this recipe from Chefs Boot Camp alum Jose Mendin a try.

Mendin starts by submerging a slab of pork belly in duck fat and slow-cooking it until decadently tender. Then, he chars some pineapple “steaks” before heading over to the wok. He sautés vegetables and kimchi, incorporates crumbly leftover rice, and finishes it off with reserved kimchi juice, soy sauce, and generous chunks of caramelized pineapple. Served with a poached egg and garnished with scallions and sesame seeds, it’s decadent twist on a "leftovers night" classic. Get the recipe.

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The James Beard Foundation's new cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, offers up a host of delicious solutions to the pressing problem of food waste. Featuring 100 recipes from alumni of our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, Waste Not will teach you how to turn every root, bone, rind, and stem into an irresistible dish.

Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, published by Rizzoli,​ is on sale now.​ Order your copy today!

Frank Guerriero is the media assistant at the Beard Foundation. Find him on Instagram.