Shanghai vegetable rice (cai fan)

Split the choy sum stems in half and dice finely; cut the leaves lengthwise and dice. Keep stems and leaves separate.

Dice the Jinhua ham.

Wash the rice several times to remove impurities and excess starch, and drain thoroughly.

Put the rice and water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer or light boil, watching so it does not overflow.

Cover and cook over low heat another 18 minutes.

Heat a wok over high heat, add the pork lard and saute the ham a minute or two.

Add the garlic and diced stems and stir a couple of minutes.

Toss in the leaves and stir until they reduce in volume. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, mix and turn off the heat.

Fluff the rice with a spatula, add the vegetables and ham, and mix well.