Taiwanese braised pork rice is a delicious one bowl meal where every mouthful is bursting with flavor! Chunks of pork belly are simmered in a savory sauce until the sauce thickens and the pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Add hard cooked eggs to the pot to soak in some of the savory sauce as it simmers and serve them with the pork on a bed of cooked rice and a side of leafy greens for a complete meal in a bowl. It's delicious comfort in every spoonful!
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Ingredients
- Pork belly with skin on
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Star anise
- Light soy sauce
- Chinese cooking wine
- Dark soy sauce
- Honey
- White pepper
- 5-spice powder
- Hard cooked eggs (optional)
Instructions
Pat the pork belly dry. Slice pork belly into ½-inch slices.
Cut each slice of pork belly into chunks ½-inch wide.
In a bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, honey, 5-spice powder, and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Heat a skillet, wok, or medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the pork belly and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the diced onion (or shallots) and minced garlic to the pork and fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the sauce, ginger slices, and star anise to the pot and mix well. Add the water and bring to a boil.
If adding peeled, hard-cooked eggs, add them to the pot at this stage. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for at least 1 ½ hours, until the pork is very tender, stirring (and rotating the eggs) occasionally.
Remove the lid and increase the heat to low-medium, cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
Pro Tip: When buying the pork belly, choose one that has a nice balance of meat and fat; don't get one with more fat than meat or one that is too lean with very little fat.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use a leaner cut of pork than pork belly?
Braised pork rice traditionally uses pork belly because the fat adds to the richness of the dish and also has that melt-in-your-mouth quality that the dish is known for. If you want to use a leaner cut, you could try using pork shoulder or collar which still has some fat, but the final result will not be exactly the same as if you use pork belly. I would not use pork loin.
Can I leave the pork belly in slices?
Yes! That is another way to cook the pork belly and it can make for a more impressive presentation in the bowl!
What can I substitute for the Chinese rice wine?
You can use a dry white wine or omit it completely.
More Recipes to Enjoy on Rice
If you are looking for other recipes for serving on a bed of rice, try these delicious ideas:
For other Asian style pork recipes, give these a try:
And if you are adding hard cooked eggs to your braised pork rice (and I highly recommend you do!), check out How To Cook Eggs In A Rice Cooker. It's a great alternative to cooking eggs the traditional way in a pot full of water!
Braised pork rice is a very popular dish in Taiwan, known for its rich flavor and how comforting it is to eat. Combined with some leafy greens and an egg on the side, it's also a complete meal all in one bowl!
~ Lisa.
Recipe
Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Lo Rou Fan)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork belly, skin on
- ½ small onion, diced (or 2 shallots)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 star anise
- 2 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
- 2 cups water
Optional:
- 4 peeled hard-cooked eggs
Instructions
- Slice pork belly into ½-inch slices, then cut each slice into chunks ½-inch wide.
- In a bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, honey, 5-spice powder, and white pepper. Mix well.
- Heat a skillet, wok, or medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the pork belly and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced onion (or shallots) and minced garlic to the pork and fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce, ginger slices, and star anise to the pot and mix well. Add the water and bring to a boil.
- If adding peeled, hard-cooked eggs, add them to the pot at this stage. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for at least 1 ½ hours, until the pork is very tender, stirring (and rotating the eggs) occasionally.
- Remove the lid and increase the heat to low-medium, cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
- Serve over hot steamed rice.
Notes
- Choose a piece of pork belly that has a nice balance of fat to meat.
- Pork belly works best for this recipe because the fat adds to the richness and melt-in-your-mouth quality this dish is known for. However, if you want try using a leaner cut, you could try pork shoulder or collar which both have some fat, but the end result may still not be the same as if you used pork belly. Do not use pork loin.
- If you do not have Chinese cooking wine, you can substitute with a dry white wine, or omit it completely.
- This lo rou fan recipe is adapted from, but not limited to, Red House Spice, The Woks of Life, and CJ Eats Recipes.
Thanks for stopping by! If you make this dish or any of my other recipes, I would love it if you could take the time to comment and rate it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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