Destination
Taipei
The story
Lu rou fan is Taiwan's most-eaten daily comfort dish: small diced pork belly, slow-braised for over an hour in a soy-and-five-spice broth with fried shallots, rock sugar and Shaoxing wine, until the meat is silky and the sauce is a glossy dark-brown gravy that coats the pork. Spooned over a mound of jasmine rice with a soy-braised egg (lu dan) on top and a spoon of pickled cabbage or preserved mustard on the side. Sold at every Taiwanese diner and roadside food counter, at every 24-hour bento shop, at every convenience-store lunch counter. The classical Taipei bowl comes with the pork already diced (not sliced or shredded like Chinese red-braised versions); this small-dice format is the Taiwanese signature.
Method
Warm 150ml oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and fry, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes until deep gold and crispy. Drain on paper (they crisp up as they cool). Reserve 3 tbsp of the shallot-flavoured oil for the braise.
Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Add the diced pork belly, blanch 2 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water.
In a wide heavy pot, warm 2 tbsp of the reserved shallot oil (or plain oil) over medium heat. Add the blanched pork. Cook 8 minutes, stirring, until the pork releases fat and starts to caramelise at the edges.
Add the fried shallots (reserving 2 tbsp for garnish), ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, five-spice and chenpi. Toss 60 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the rock sugar, dark soy, light soy and Shaoxing wine. Stir to dissolve the sugar (30 seconds). Add chicken stock and white pepper.
Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover partially and cook 75 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is silky and the sauce has reduced to a glossy coating gravy. If the sauce reduces too fast, add a splash of water; if too thin at the end, uncover and simmer 10 more minutes.
Meanwhile: cover eggs with cold water in a pot, bring to a boil, simmer 7 minutes, then plunge into ice water and peel. Warm 300ml of the braising liquid in a small pot; add peeled eggs and simmer 20 minutes, turning occasionally, so they colour deeply. Reserve.
Divide the warm jasmine rice between 6 bowls. Spoon a generous ladle of the lu rou (pork and sauce) over each. Top with a halved soy egg. Scatter with the reserved fried shallots, spring onion and coriander. Serve with blanched greens on the side, plus pickled cabbage and chili sauce. Diners mix everything together with a spoon before eating.
Tips
- Fried shallots are essential. Hong cong su (Taiwanese crispy fried shallots) are the classical flavour base. Do not use plain fresh shallots — the deep-frying is what creates the specific caramelised depth. Ready-made from a jar works too.
- Dice small. 5mm to 1cm cubes is the Taiwanese target. Bigger chunks are Chinese red-braised pork; smaller dice is lu rou fan.
- Skin on. The pork belly skin gives lu rou fan its silky, gelatinous texture as it slowly renders during the braise. Skinless belly gives you a thinner, less-classical version.
- Slow and low. 75 to 90 minutes at the lowest simmer. A hard boil breaks the pork into strings and clouds the sauce.
- Better on day two. Lu rou fan holds beautifully in the fridge and improves overnight. Make Saturday for Sunday lunch. Freezes well.
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