Shrimp Pad Thai with Pork Fried Rice & Homemade Fried Wontons

Directions

Reliable solo-cook order: have cold rice ready, fold the wontons, start the noodle soak, cook the fried rice, fry the wontons, and cook the Pad Thai last.

1. 1.Mise en place
   • Start with cold rice. Day-old rice is best. For the 2 cups needed here, cook 2/3 cup (135 g) dry jasmine rice with the package-directed amount of water at least 1 hour ahead. Spread it in a shallow layer, refrigerate promptly until cold, then cover. The 1-hour-45-minute recipe time assumes the rice is already cold.
   • Cook and balance the Pad Thai sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the prepared tamarind puree, fish sauce, finely grated sugar, and 3 tablespoons water. Simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring until fully dissolved. Cool a spoonful and taste it now: it should be equally tangy, salty, and sweet. If too sharp, add sugar 1 teaspoon at a time; if too intense, add water 1 tablespoon at a time; if flat, add fish sauce 1 teaspoon at a time. Do not substitute undiluted tamarind concentrate cup-for-cup.
   • Mix the remaining sauces. Simmer the dipping-sauce ingredients 2-3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves; cool. Mix the low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper for the fried rice.
   • Prep produce first. Dice the yellow onion, cut the scallions, mince the garlic, chop the peanuts, cut the limes, portion the sprouts and cilantro, and pat the peas and carrots dry.
   • Prep raw proteins separately. On a clean protein-only board, peel and devein the Pad Thai shrimp, cube the pork loin, and finely chop the wonton shrimp. Wash the board, knife, hands, and nearby surfaces before continuing.
   • Mix and fold 12 wontons. Stir ground pork, chopped shrimp, scallion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and white pepper vigorously for 30 seconds, until tacky. Chill 10 minutes. Keep unused wrappers covered, fill each with 2 level teaspoons, fold every wrapper into the same triangle shape, press out the air, and seal firmly. Keep the filled wontons covered and refrigerated.
2. 2.Make the pork fried rice
   • Start the noodle soak now. Cover the medium-width rice noodles with room-temperature water. Check after 25 minutes and leave them submerged until they bend easily without snapping but remain distinctly firm in the center. They should finish during the fried-rice and wonton phases; do not drain them until the cleaned wok is ready for Pad Thai.
   • Prepare a short hold. Heat the oven to its lowest setting, ideally 170°F (75°C). Set out a wide oven-safe serving dish and foil for a loose tent; do not use a deep, tightly covered bowl that will steam the rice.
   • Cook the pork once (3-4 minutes). Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until faintly smoking. Add half of the measured fried-rice oil and the pork in one layer. Cook until browned and the thickest pieces reach 145°F (63°C). Transfer to a clean plate and rest 3 minutes.
   • Softly scramble the eggs (about 45 seconds). Pour in the eggs and fold just until barely set. Transfer them to a separate clean plate so they do not continue cooking with the pork.
   • Cook the onion and rice (6-7 minutes). Add the remaining measured fried-rice oil and the diced onion; stir-fry 2-3 minutes, until translucent with browned edges. Add the garlic for 10 seconds. Add the cold rice and press, toss, and break it apart 3-4 minutes, until hot and lightly toasted. Add the peas and carrots and cook 1 minute.
   • Season without recooking the pork. Pour the fried-rice sauce around the hot edge of the wok and toss 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, fold in the rested pork, eggs, and scallions, and immediately transfer to the wide dish. Tent loosely and hold in the low oven for no more than 25 minutes. If the oven cannot go below 200°F (95°C), turn it off after the rice goes in.
   • Reset the wok. Wash away the fried-rice sauce and stuck grains, then dry the wok thoroughly. If using a second skillet for Pad Thai, make sure it is clean, dry, and ready.
3. 3.Fry the wontons
   • Heat the frying oil safely. Add enough oil for a 2-inch depth in a heavy 4-quart pot without filling the pot more than halfway. Heat to 350-360°F (175-182°C). Set a wire rack over a sheet pan.
   • Fry in batches. Fry no more than 6 wontons at a time for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and blistered. Let the oil return to 350-360°F between batches. Check the center of the first wonton in each batch; the pork-and-shrimp filling must reach 160°F (71°C).
   • Hold them briefly. Drain on the rack, not paper towels, and hold uncovered in the low oven for no longer than 12 minutes.
4. 4.Cook the shrimp Pad Thai last
   • Drain the noodles just in time. Once the cleaned wok and every Pad Thai ingredient are beside the stove, drain the flexible but still firm noodles thoroughly. If they became ready early, keep them lightly covered and use within 10 minutes.
   • Size batches to the pan. A 14-inch wok can handle the full base recipe. In a 12-inch skillet, cook one batch for 1-2 target servings; above that, divide every Pad Thai component into equal batches of no more than 2 servings each. Combine finished batches on a warm platter.
   • Partially sear the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook the shrimp 45-60 seconds per side, only until the edges turn opaque while the centers remain slightly translucent. Transfer immediately to a clean plate; they will reach their safe final temperature in the last step.
   • Build the noodles (3-5 minutes). Add the remaining oil, then the garlic for 10 seconds. Push it aside, add the eggs, and scramble until softly set. Add the noodles and the pre-balanced Pad Thai sauce; toss constantly until glossy, tender, and still springy. Add the reserved loosening water 1 tablespoon at a time only if the pan dries before the noodles soften.
   • Finish the shrimp once. Fold in the shrimp, bean sprouts, scallions, and half the peanuts. Toss 30-60 seconds and remove the wok from the heat as soon as the shrimp centers reach 145°F (63°C). The sprouts should still crunch. Do not keep cooking to rebalance the sauce; serve lime, fish sauce, sugar, and chili at the table for individual adjustment.
5. 5.Plate and serve
   • Serve immediately. Divide the shrimp Pad Thai and pork fried rice evenly among warm plates for the selected Target servings. Add exactly 3 wontons per plate.
   • Finish the plate. Top the noodles with remaining peanuts and cilantro. Add lime wedges and the sweet-tangy dipping sauce on the side.