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Visiting a Hong Kong cha chaan teng can be a comforting experience, and baked pork chop rice consistently makes its way onto order slips. It’s not hard to understand why the succulent pork chop, baked in tangy tomato sauce and served over steaming rice, is a go-to for many Hongkongers.
This hearty dish is a local spin on a traditional casserole, a French dish in which meat is cooked slowly in an oven. Western casseroles often require long hours of simmering. However, baked pork chop rice is quick to prepare.
Kathy Ng Yiu-fan from Kat-Spirit Nutrition Centre in Hong Kong said that dishes adapted to new cultures often differ in taste.
“Western casseroles are rich and creamy. Baked pork chop rice has a sweet-and-sour flavour that is very popular in Cantonese cuisine,” she said.
Healthier options
One serving of this dish, along with 100 grams of rice, contains 190 calories, 7.5 grams of protein, 8.8 grams of fat and 20 grams of carbohydrates.
Ng said: “The way the dish is prepared is what makes it unhealthy. It is often made with meat that’s been fried before baking, a preparation style many Hongkongers enjoy. But this makes baked pork chop rice high in unhealthy fat and calories.”
She added that the tomato-based sauce is usually made with a large amount of processed ketchup. It is then served over rice that has been stir-fried with oil.
The senior nutritionist said that Macau-style baked Portuguese chicken rice, another Asian casserole variation, is healthier as it uses plain rice.
Check out our recipe for a quick and easy egg drop soup
“Understandably, many locals enjoy baked pork chop rice because of its savoury and slightly umami taste. But we can improve on this dish by pan-frying or grilling the meat,” she said.
Other ways to make the dish healthier without compromising its taste include replacing the ketchup with tomato paste that is low in sodium and has no added sugar. You can also use less salt.
Ng added: “Many people believe they need salt to make food taste better. But things like garlic, ginger, and chilli flakes can also add flavour.”
She admitted these ingredients might make the dish cost more.
“While you can still enjoy baked pork chop rice at your favourite cha chaan teng from time to time, it’s probably a better idea to prepare it at home. Here is a recipe that offers a much healthier version of the beloved classic comfort food.”
Brown rice baked pork chop rice
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 2 boneless pork chops, about 2.5cm thick
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice, heated up
- 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
- 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce and honey. Brush the pork chops with half of the mixture.
2. Place the pork chops in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, carefully remove the dish from the oven and brush the pork chops with the remaining mixture.
3. In the meantime, microwave the frozen peas and carrots according to the package directions. You can also quickly stir-fry them if you like.
4. Divide the brown rice between two plates. Top each plate of rice with a cooked pork chop. Scatter the peas and carrots around the rice. Drizzle any remaining sauce from the baking dish over the pork and rice. Serve hot.
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