Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯) Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Rice

Ingredients

• 700 g skin-on pork belly (cut into small cubes)
• 4 shallots (large, thinly sliced)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
• 200 ml neutral oil (for frying shallots)
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1.5 tbsp yellow rock sugar
• 0.25 tsp five-spice powder
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 1 star anise
• 1 Chinese cinnamon (small piece (guìpí))
• 250 ml mushroom soaking liquid (reserved from soaking dried shiitakes)
• 250 ml water
• 6 eggs (small, hard-boiled and peeled)
• jasmine rice (steamed, for serving)
• pickled mustard greens (finely chopped, for serving)
• spring onions (for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until soft. Once softened, squeeze out the excess water, reserve 250 ml of the soaking liquid, and slice the mushrooms into small pieces.

2. 2

   Heat 200 ml of neutral oil in a pan or wok over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallots and fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the fried shallots and drain on paper towels, reserving the oil.

3. 3

   In a large pot or heavy-bottomed pan, add the cubed pork belly. Sauté over medium-high heat until the pork is browned and some of the fat has rendered out.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and sliced shiitake mushrooms to the pot with the pork. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, yellow rock sugar, five-spice powder, white pepper, star anise, and Chinese cinnamon. Stir well to coat the pork in the seasonings.

6. 6

   Pour in the 250 ml of reserved mushroom soaking liquid and 250 ml of water. Bring the mixture to a boil.

7. 7

   Once boiling, add the fried shallots back into the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs to the pot, ensuring they are partially submerged in the liquid. Continue to simmer for another 30-45 minutes, or until the pork belly is very tender and the sauce has thickened and become glossy.

9. 9

   Serve the braised pork and a soy-braised egg over a bowl of hot steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with finely chopped pickled mustard greens and spring onions.

Notes

The fried shallots are essential as they melt into the sauce to provide thickness and a deep, sweet flavor. If you cannot find yellow rock sugar, granulated sugar can be used as a substitute, though rock sugar provides a better gloss to the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• braised
• pork belly
• Taiwanese
• comfort food
• rice bowl