Chinese

Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)

Name: Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese

Small pieces of pork belly slowly braised with fried shallots, soy sauce and five spice until glossy and rich, spooned over hot rice with soy-braised eggs. Taiwan's favourite comfort food.

Serves

Prep

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Ingredients

Pantry bits

800g pork belly, skin on or off, cut into 1cm pieces
4 eggs
2 tbsp neutral oil
6 red Asian shallots (about 120g), thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) Shaoxing wine
1/4 cup (60ml) light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
30g rock sugar or 2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
1 bunch bok choy, halved and blanched, to serve

Instructions

Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or small cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes until evenly golden brown. Don't let them go dark or they will turn bitter.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the pork and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fat starts to render and the pork is lightly browned.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble for 1 minute, then add both soy sauces, the sugar, five spice and white pepper and stir for 1 minute to coat the pork.
Add the water and the peeled eggs and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer very gently for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning the eggs, until the pork is meltingly tender and the sauce is dark and glossy.
If the sauce is still thin, simmer uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes. Skim off some of the fat if you like, then taste and adjust with a splash of soy or a pinch of sugar.
Halve the eggs. Spoon the pork and plenty of sauce over bowls of hot rice and serve with the eggs and bok choy.

About this dish

Lu rou fan (滷肉飯) is braised pork rice, and in Taiwan it is everywhere, from night-market stalls to school canteens. Small pieces of fatty pork are simmered with crisp fried shallots, soy sauce and a little five spice until the sauce turns sticky and rich, then ladled over plain rice.

The fried shallots are the signature flavour, so take your time getting them golden. Dark soy sauce gives the deep colour and light soy sauce brings the saltiness; our soy sauce guide explains the difference. If you like this, try hong shao rou, three cup chicken (another Taiwanese classic) or Vietnam's thit kho trung.

Regional names vary. In northern Taiwan, lu rou fan means this diced pork version; in parts of the south the same name can mean rice topped with a whole slab of braised belly, and the diced version is called rou zao fan.

Tips for the best result

Cut the pork into small, even pieces, about 1cm. Some cooks hand-chop it finer still, but avoid mince, which goes grainy.
Keep the simmer very gentle. A hard boil makes the pork tough and the sauce greasy.
It tastes even better the next day, once the flavours have settled.

Substitutions

Fried shallots: short on time? Skip step 2, brown the pork in the oil, and add 1/2 cup store-bought crispy fried shallots with the water.
Pork: skinless pork shoulder works for a leaner version, but add an extra tablespoon of oil.
Shaoxing wine: use dry sherry, or more water with an extra splash of soy for an alcohol-free version.
Rock sugar: brown sugar is fine; rock sugar gives a cleaner sweetness and extra gloss.

Storage and reheating

Keep the braise in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pork (without the eggs, which turn rubbery) freezes well for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water until bubbling.

Lu rou fan FAQs

What is the difference between lu rou fan and hong shao rou?

Lu rou fan uses small pieces of pork in a soy and fried-shallot braise that is spooned over rice. Hong shao rou is a Chinese dish of larger chunks of pork belly in a caramelised sugar and soy sauce, served as a dish in its own right.

What rice should I serve with lu rou fan?

In Taiwan it is usually short or medium-grain rice, which soaks up the sauce. Jasmine rice also works well.

Can I make lu rou fan in a slow cooker or pressure cooker?

Yes. Do steps 2-4 in a pan, then slow-cook on low for 5-6 hours or pressure-cook on high for 25 minutes with natural release. Reduce the sauce on the stove afterwards if it is thin.