Taiwanese Braised Pork (Five-Spice Belly Rice Bowl)
Lu rou fan is a Taiwanese braised pork dish where minced or diced pork belly is simmered in soy sauce with five-spice powder and rock sugar until the fat melts into a thick, glossy sauce. The five-spice blend - star anise, cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper, and fennel - gives the braise its signature aromatic complexity. Traditionally, hard-boiled eggs are added to the pot and braised alongside the pork until their whites absorb the dark sauce. Ladled generously over steaming rice so the sauce seeps between every grain, this is one of Taiwan's most iconic night market comfort foods.
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Instructions
- 1
Finely chop and fry shallots until golden.
- 2
Add pork and cook until moisture evaporates.
- 3
Add soy sauce, sugar, five-spice, star anise, and rice wine.
- 4
Pour in water and simmer on low for 50 minutes.
- 5
Turn off heat when sauce thickens and serve over rice.
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