Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)
A beloved Taiwanese comfort food featuring tender, melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly served over fluffy white rice, often topped with a pickled radish and a soy-marinated egg.
🧂 Ingredients
- 600 g Pork belly(cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 4 medium Shallots(thinly sliced)
- 4 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 2 tbsp Rock sugar
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp Five-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 4 cups Cooked white rice(for serving)
- 4 optional Soy-marinated eggs(for serving)
- 1/4 cup Pickled radish(chopped, for serving)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a pot or Dutch oven, heat a little oil over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
💡 Tip: Be careful not to burn the shallots. - 2
Add the minced garlic to the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 3
Add the cubed pork belly to the pot and sear on all sides until lightly browned.
- 4
Stir in the rock sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes until it begins to caramelize.
- 5
Pour in the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- 6
Add the water, five-spice powder, and white pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour, or until the pork is very tender.
💡 Tip: The longer it simmers, the more tender the pork will become. - 7
Once the pork is tender, remove the lid and increase the heat slightly to reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency, about 15-20 minutes.
- 8
Serve the braised pork and its sauce generously over hot white rice. Garnish with crispy shallots, pickled radish, and a soy-marinated egg if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using pork belly with a good ratio of fat to meat is key for tenderness and flavor.
- ✓Rock sugar provides a deeper, more complex sweetness than granulated sugar.
- ✓The soy-marinated egg (滷蛋 - lu dan) is a classic accompaniment and can be made by boiling eggs and then simmering them in the braising liquid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
🔄 Variations
- Add dried shiitake mushrooms to the braising liquid for an extra layer of umami.
- For a spicier version, add a pinch of chili flakes to the braising liquid.
- Some recipes include a small piece of dried tangerine peel for added aroma.