Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice, or Lu Rou Fan, is a super popular Taiwanese that you can find very commonly in street markets or restaurant stalls all over the country. I love the tender braised pork belly in that sweet, savory sauce over freshly steamed rice. Top it with an egg and some fresh cilantro and you have a true comfort meal in a bowl!
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the pork belly strips and fry until browned. Add the garlic and sugar to the pork and sauté until the sugar has melted.
Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, white pepper, shiitake mushrooms, fried shallots, and peeled hard boiled eggs if using. Add water until the meat is fully covered and bring to a boil.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, partially cover with the lid and turn the heat to medium low. Simmer for 1-1.5 hours or until the pork is fork tender and the braising liquid has thickened. If the braising liquid is still loose but the pork is tender, uncover the pot and turn the heat up to high and let the sauce further reduce, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (be careful towards the end because the sauce will scorch quickly once reduced)
Serve with freshly steamed rice, egg, and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
pork belly - Cut the pork into 1″ strips about 3″ long. You want to purposefully cut these strips this length because they will shrink upon cooking to smaller, bite size pieces. When frying the pork, you’ll see water escape from the pork and pool at the bottom of the pan – ensure all of this is cooked out prior to moving to the next step. You want to hear crackling and browning of the pork, which is a sign the water from the pork has been cooked out.
shiitake mushrooms - I use rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms.
rock sugar - if you don't have rock sugar, you can also use granulated sugar
Shaoxing wine - if you don't have Shaoxing wine, you can substitute with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock
Upon braising, the sauce should turn into a gravy-like consistency. If the sauce is too watery when the pork is tender, uncover the pot and turn the heat to medium high and let the sauce reduce down, making sure to stir occasionally to prevent any burning.Storage / Freezing - Store any leftover Lu Rou Fan (separate from the rice) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat until warmed through in the microwave. Readers have had a good experience freezing this for meal prep - I recommend portioning it out before doing so (so it's easier to defrost). Store in freezer safe bags for up to 3 months.