Take your taste buds to Taiwan with the classic one-bowl Lu Rou Fan: a dish of tender-braised pork belly with a rich and savory gravy, eggs, and veggies over steamed rice. Pork is not only a satisfying protein, but well-loved all over the world. It can also transport our kitchens and bring exciting new dishes. Take your taste buds to Taiwan with the classic one-bowl Lu Rou Fan, a dish of tender-braised pork belly with a rich and savory gravy, eggs, and veggies over steamed rice. This flavorful dish is a sure way to help you “escape” the ordinary. Lu Rou Fan is a Taiwanese pork rice bowl that you’re going to love. It’s easy to make but pays off big in terms of flavor, all in one bowl. It calls for pork belly diced into small pieces and browned. This gets braised in a broth made with soy sauce, along with crispy fried shallots and mushrooms, until the fat melts away, leaving the meat so tender that it melts in your mouth. In China, pork is one of the most important staples of all. It’s affordable, versatile, and delicious – a wonderful meat that joins cultures together over delicious meals. Pork is one of the most common items on menus in China. We literally use all parts and cuts to make various dishes. For example, pork bones for hearty broth, chops for scrumptious fried pork steak, loin for the popular dim sum char siu, tenderloin for stir fries such as sweet and sour pork, ribs for a slow braised stew, ground pork for juicy dumplings, and feet for a warming stew.
A new way to cook with pork belly
Lu Rou Fan is traditionally made with skin-on pork belly. You cut the pork belly into thin strips, brown it, then braise it in a super savory broth to release the grease and soak in the flavors. So, the end result is small bites of super rich umami bombs that just have enough tender fat to add flavor and a small piece of skin for some extra fun texture.
How to cut pork belly for lu rou fan
To make lu rou fan, try to get a cut of pork belly that has a good mix of lean and fat, with skin on. I would avoid a cut that is too fatty. If you do not like the texture of the skin, you can use a skinless cut instead. If your cut has some bones attached, the first step is to remove them.Slice the pork belly into about 1/4” (1/2 cm) piecesFurther cut the slices into strips
Once cut, I use a simple marinade containing dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. The wine will eliminate some gamey taste from the pork, and the caramel in the dark soy sauce makes the pork very easy to brown. Using pork belly creates a more indulgent and authentic flavor, though you can use a different cut. For example, you can use pork shoulder, which gives you a good mix of lean meat and fat, though it’s less fatty than pork belly.
Ingredients
Creating extra rich sauce with fried shallots
There are variations of Lu Rou Fan throughout Taiwan and Fujian Province, though the spirit is always the same, with pork cooked until super-tender in a heavenly sauce. The sauce really is the entire point of this classic dish, and the secret ingredient is – fried shallots. Different from using fresh shallots, fried shallots will eventually melt into the sauce and add an extra rich, smokey, and unique flavor that makes Lu Rou Fan stand out. You can use store-bought fried shallots (or even fried onions), but I highly recommend you to make your own. They have a better texture and a fresher taste. Plus, you can make extra and top them on the Lu Rou Fan when you serve it.
Mushrooms
Another key ingredient in the sauce is dried shiitake mushrooms, to add another earthy savory flavor. At the end of the braising, the mushrooms will soak up all the pork essential and the sauce, making it taste as good as the main star of the dish.
Rock sugar
Rock sugar provides a more roundup taste and makes the sauce glossier. You can replace it with regular sugar as well.
Prep
Once you’ve done prepping, your table should have:
Cooking process
Cooking lu rou fan takes a bit of time but it’s pretty easy:
A word on the pickles
Lu Rou Fan is usually served with pickled mustard greens or pickled radish. For me, I prefer to serve whatever pickles I have on hand. If you have an extra 10 minutes, I highly recommend my quick pickled shallot recipe. It’s crispy, refreshing and lightly sweet and pairs so well with the savory pork. Lu Rou Fan is so easy to make and an ideal option for meal prep. To balance out the fatty pork and add texture to your dish, it’s common to add some hard boiled eggs to the sauce and braise them together with the pork. When you combine the pork, the gravy, the eggs, and some veggies with crispy pickles on top of your steamed rice, you won’t be able to stop eating it until you’ve scooped up every last morsel. Pork really adds excitement to the table and richness to your dishes. Try to make Lu Rou Fan with pork belly if you can get your hands on it, and it will deliver a hearty dish that creates a new and unique eating experience in your dining room. For more pork recipe ideas, be sure to check out www.pork.org/realpork. Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Other delicious pork recipes
Salt and Pepper Pork ChopsInstant Pot Pork Chops with Black Bean SauceHong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork, 红烧肉)15-Minute Pork Fried RiceAsian-Style Instant Pot Pulled Pork
