Incredibly rich and flavorful, Lu Rou Fan or 滷肉飯 is an iconic one-bowl Taiwanese dish that combines melt-in-your mouth braised pork belly simmered in savory sauce over steamed rice.

If I have to choose one Taiwanese dish to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be Braised Pork Rice, or Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯). This iconic Taiwanese comfort food is so simple, yet combines rich and mouth-watering flavors. It features tender braise pork belly simmered in a savory-sweet sauce, served with eggs and over fluffy steamed rice. Each piece of pork belly is slowly braised in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, garlic, and spices. As the pork slowly cooks and simmers, the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, soaked with aromatic sauce that you can taste in every bite. I am literally drooling as I am typing this!

WATCH TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK RICE RECIPE VIDEO BELOW:

SHOULD I USE GROUND PORK OR PORK BELLY TO MAKE BRAISED PORK RICE BOWL?

This recipe is made with chunkier, hand-chopped pieces of pork belly, which is a common way to prepare Taiwanese braised pork in the southern part of Taiwan. Some restaurants use ground pork or minced pork, but I prefer using pork belly. You can definitely use ground pork or minced pork if you desire. However, I find that the secret component of the best pork belly is the fat content! The combination of pork skin, fat, and meat creates a more tender texture, allowing it to melt in the mouth. Just trust me on this!

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lb pork belly, cut into 1" strips
• fried shallots (homemade or store-bought, you can get it here)
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon cooking wine
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• About 2.5 cup water
• 6 hard boiled eggs (optional)

HOW TO MAKE TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK RICE BOWL?

Cut the Pork Belly

Cute the pork belly into 1" strips. Make sure that each strip has both fat pork belly skin and lean meat. Don't cut it too small because the meat will shrink into smaller pieces when you braise it.

Cook Pork Belly and Garlic

In a big pan or pot, cook pork belly over medium-high heat until brown. As the meat cooks, fat will begin to render and the liquid from the pork will start to evaporate. Then add minced garlic into the pan, and cook until aromatic.

Add Sauce

Add sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, five spice powder, and white pepper into the pan. Stir and cook until sauce is combined.

Then add about 2.5 cup of water and bring to a boil.

Add Fried Shallots and Hard Boiled Eggs

Add fried shallots and peeled hard boiled eggs. Adding eggs is optional. When you go to a restaurant or street vender in Taiwan, they typically serve Lu Rou Fan with either a hard boiled egg or fried egg. When you mix the eggs with aromatic braised pork and freshly steamed rice, the flavor is out of this world!

Braise and Simmer

Once the sauce is boiling, reduce down to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 1-1.5 hour. Check the meat at 1 hour mark. You can continue to braise the meat in low heat to make it more tender.

The last step is to remove the lid and let is simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. The sauce should have a grave-like consistency. If it is too water, let it cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce is reduced and thickened.

Serve

Take a big scoop of braised pork belly onto a bowl of steamed rice. Add an egg and garnish with cilantro. Now take a bite and enjoy!

TIPS

• When choosing pork belly, make sure to get a good quality portion with pork skin and fat on it. The pork skin and fat are what make this dish so juicy and tender.
• For fried shallots, you can make your own or use store-bought. For convenience, I used store-bought fried shallots in this recipe. You can get it at your local Asian grocery stores or here.
• You can braised the sauce under low heat for a longer time if you'd like for tender meat. Check every 30 minutes to make sure that the sauce does not dry up or get burnt.

OTHER ASIAN RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

• MAPO TOFU RECIPE (麻婆豆腐)
• EASY TOMATO EGG STIR-FRY (番茄炒蛋)
• TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!

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