Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl (Lu Rou Fan)

About This Recipe

Lu rou fan, braised pork rice, is arguably Taiwan's most iconic home dish, found on nearly every casual restaurant menu across the island and in most family kitchens. Diced pork belly is browned to render its fat, then braised low and slow in a mixture of soy sauce, shaoxing rice wine, five-spice and rock sugar until the meat turns meltingly tender and the sauce reduces into a glossy, deeply savory glaze that soaks into steamed rice. The technique that separates a good lu rou fan from a mediocre one is rendering the pork fat properly before adding any liquid, so the meat has real depth rather than tasting boiled. A long, gentle simmer — an hour or more — is what breaks the collagen down into that signature silky texture; rushing it with high heat gives you tough, chewy pork instead. For the fullest authentic flavor, ground pork or diced pork belly with a good ratio of fat to meat both work, though skin-on belly cut into small dice is the most traditional choice. Topped with a soft-boiled egg braised briefly in the same sauce and a scoop of pickled mustard greens, this is exactly how lu rou fan is served at Taiwanese night market stalls.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gpork belly(skin removed, diced into 1cm cubes)
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 4shallots(thinly sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 0.5 cupsoy sauce
• 0.25 cupshaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsprock sugar or brown sugar
• 0.5 tspfive-spice powder
• 2star anise pods
• 1.5 cupswater
• 4hard-boiled eggs(peeled)
• 4 cupssteamed rice
• 0.5 cuppickled mustard greens or bok choy(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Render the pork

   Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add pork belly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and much of the fat has rendered.

2. 2

   Build the aromatics

   Add shallots and garlic to the pot and cook 2 minutes until fragrant and the shallots start to color.

   Frying the shallots until they're a little golden here adds real depth — don't rush past this step.

3. 3

   Braise

   Add soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, five-spice, star anise and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer, cover partially and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. 4

   Add the eggs

   In the last 20 minutes of braising, add the peeled hard-boiled eggs so they soak up color and flavor from the sauce.

5. 5

   Check consistency

   The pork should be very tender and the sauce reduced to a glossy, slightly thick glaze. If it's still thin, uncover and simmer a bit longer.

6. 6

   Serve

   Spoon the braised pork generously over steamed rice, halve an egg on top of each bowl, and add pickled mustard greens on the side.

Variations

• •

  Ground pork version: use ground pork belly or a mix of ground pork and pork fat for a smoother, more classic street-stall texture.

• •

  Extra vegetables: add hard-boiled quail eggs or braised daikon in the last 20 minutes for a more filling bowl.

• •

  Spicy version: add a spoonful of chili bean paste to the braise for heat, common in some regional variations.

Storage

The braised pork keeps and improves in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions