Lu Rou Fan

About This Recipe

Lu rou fan (滷肉飯, braised pork rice) is Taiwan's most beloved comfort food, inspiring near-religious devotion among Taiwanese food lovers. It is found in every corner of the island, from street carts to dedicated restaurants where the braise has been simmering continuously for decades — the master pot added to daily but never fully emptied, called a 'thousand-year pot.' The fried shallots are non-negotiable: they transform the braising sauce into something extraordinary.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gpork belly(cut into small cubes)
• 4 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tbspdark soy sauce
• 2 tbsprice wine
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4 wholeshallots(thinly sliced and fried until golden)
• 3 wholehard-boiled eggs
• 1 tspfive-spice powder
• 2 wholestar anise
• 300 mlwater
• 4 bowlssteamed white rice

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry shallots

   Fry thinly sliced shallots in oil over medium heat until golden and crispy. Remove and reserve the oil.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   In the shallot oil, brown pork belly cubes until golden.

3. 3

   Add braising liquids

   Add soy sauces, rice wine, sugar, five-spice, star anise, and water. Stir in fried shallots.

4. 4

   Braise

   Bring to boil. Add whole peeled hard-boiled eggs. Reduce heat and simmer 60–75 minutes until pork is very tender and sauce is thick.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve over steamed white rice. Slice eggs in half and place alongside.

Variations

• •

  Use pork mince instead of cubed pork belly for a faster weeknight version

• •

  Serve with pickled mustard greens on the side

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated and improves over time. Freeze up to 3 months. Serve over freshly steamed rice.

Frequently Asked Questions