Lu Rou Fan
Taiwan's comfort dish: hand-diced pork belly braised glossy in soy, rice wine and five-spice, ladled over a bowl of hot steamed rice.
Overview
Pork belly is hand-diced into 1 cm cubes (skin on), parboiled, then braised slowly in a fragrant mixture of soy, Shaoxing, rock sugar, five-spice, garlic and fried shallots. The slow simmer renders the fat and softens the skin into a gelatinous, glossy braise that clings to rice. A jammy soy-braised egg and a few pickled greens on the side are traditional.
Ingredients
Pork
- 800 g pork belly, skin on (one piece)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Aromatics
- 80 g fried shallots (sold in tubs at Asian grocers), plus extra to garnish
- 6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 4 cm fresh ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick (small)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Braise
- 100 ml Shaoxing rice wine
- 80 ml light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (for colour)
- 40 g rock sugar (or 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar)
- 700 ml water (or unsalted chicken stock)
To serve
- 4 eggs (large, soft-boiled, peeled)
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Pickled mustard greens (or quick-pickled cucumber)
- 1 spring onion (finely sliced)
- Blanched pak choi (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Prep the pork
- Slice the pork belly into 1 cm thick strips, then into 1 cm cubes. Keep the skin on every piece - this is the texture that defines the dish.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pork; boil for 3 minutes to remove scum. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry.
Stage 2 - Build the aromatics
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or small casserole over medium heat.
- Add the chopped garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the fried shallots, star anise, cinnamon stick, five-spice and white pepper. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Tip in the pork and stir to coat in the aromatics. Cook 3-4 minutes until the edges of the pork start to colour and render.
Stage 3 - Braise
- Pour in the Shaoxing rice wine; let it bubble for a minute.
- Add both soy sauces, the rock sugar and enough water or stock to just cover the pork.
- Bring to a simmer. Reduce to the lowest heat, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and braise for 1 ¼ hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until the pork is meltingly tender and the sauce is glossy and reduced to a sticky coating.
Stage 4 - The eggs
- Bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil. Lower in the eggs and cook 6 ½ minutes for jammy yolks. Plunge into iced water; peel.
- Add the peeled eggs to the braise in the last 20 minutes so they take on colour.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Spoon a generous mound of jasmine rice into each bowl.
- Ladle pork belly and sauce over the top.
- Halve a soy-braised egg and rest it on the side.
- Scatter spring onion and extra fried shallots; serve pickled greens or pak choi on the side.
Notes
- Hand-dice the pork: Don't be tempted to mince. The texture comes from cubes that hold their shape and let you taste skin, fat and meat distinctly.
- Fried shallots are not optional: They carry most of the savoury depth. Tubs of crispy fried shallots from Asian grocers (a Thai or Vietnamese brand is fine) save the trouble of frying your own.
- Rock sugar gives gloss: Rock sugar (binglang) caramelises into the signature lacquered sheen. Brown sugar works but the finish is duller.
- Skin on: Hard rule. The collagen from the skin thickens the braise and gives mouthfeel.
Variations
Mushroom-enriched: Soak 4 dried shiitake in warm water for 30 minutes; chop and add with the aromatics. The soaking liquid replaces some of the stock. Lu rou fan with bamboo shoots: Stir 150 g sliced bamboo shoots into the braise for the last 30 minutes.
Serving
Serve with: steamed jasmine rice, blanched pak choi or Chinese broccoli, pickled mustard greens, soy-braised egg.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days refrigerated and improves overnight; the gelatine sets so reheat gently with a splash of water.
- Freezes well for 2 months.
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