A while back, Alice and I had some leftover rice, so we decided to make fried rice (with the possible exception of rice pudding, there are few better uses for leftover rice). Typically, we use ham or some other pork product as the protein; but this fateful day, we didn’t have any and were too — let’s say unmotivated — to go to the store.

However, we did have bacon. Hello inspiration.

Adding the bacon added a nice smoky note to the fried rice and kept us happy with its porky goodness. Seriously, is there anything that bacon can’t do?

Unlock the keys to discovery for Bacon Fried Rice!

Bacon Fried Rice:

• some bacon (we usually use about three strips)
• leftover rice (as much as you think you want, we usually have about 3ish cups)
• 2 green onions sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic diced
• 1/2 a head of cabbage sliced
• 2 eggs
• soy sauce
• salt

First things fry the bacon in your cooking vessel (we use a wok). Make sure to crisp it up, we’ll be folding it in later and it won’t get any crunchier than it is now.

Next, remove the bacon and discard some of the grease, reserving about 2 tablespoons.

Add the garlic and green onions (save some green onions for the garnish) to flavor the oil.

Next, add the cabbage and salt it. Salting the cabbage will help remove the water content and let it wilt and cook quicker.

Once that’s wilted and cooked down a bit, add the rice and a splash of soy sauce to taste. Mix it all around and then let the whole thing sit to get a nice char. This is the most difficult part: not fiddling with it. I promise that leaving it alone will reward you with some yummy, texturally satisfying fried rice.

Now it’s time to mix back in the bacon and add the egg. I like to make a well in the center of the rice and cook the egg there. Once it’s starting to cook, I fold it into the rice, so you get nice curds of cooked egg.

Finally, you’re done! Garnish with a few green onion slices and enjoy! (And no, the green onion garnish isn’t just to look sexy — it adds a nice fresh flavor too!)