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Taiwanese Meat Sauce With Rice (Lu Rou Fan) Recipe

Cathy Erway
Taiwanese Meat Sauce With Rice (Lu Rou Fan) Recipe

[Photograph: Cathy Erway]

Note: You can make your own five-spice powder by combining 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seed, plus 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove star anise. If using whole pork belly, trim any bones from the slab of meat. Slice into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise, then slice each piece into 1/4-inch slivers.

About the Author: Cathy Erway is the author of The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove. She blogs at Not Eating Out In New York and hosts the weekly podcast, "Eat Your Words" on Heritage Radio Network.

Read more: Taiwan Eats: Taiwanese Meat Sauce With Rice (Lu Rou Fan)

  • Yield:Serves 6 to 8
  • Active time: 30 minutes
  • Total time:4 hours
  • Rated: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 6 medium)
  • 2 pounds ground pork (or 2 pounds whole, fresh, skin-on pork belly, see note)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 cup Chinese rice cooking wine
  • Water

Directions

  1. 1.

    Line a large plate with a triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil to 325°F in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and adjust flame to maintain temperature. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon or wire mesh spider, until shallots are a pale golden and barely turning brown in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to paper towel lined-plate to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon oil and reserve the rest for another use. When shallots are cool, lightly crush. Set aside.

  2. 2.

    Heat reserved oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the crushed fried shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add the five-spice powder and sugar and stir to combine. Add both soy sauces, wine, and just enough water to cover, if necessary, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover partially. Cook until pork is completely tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 hours. Serve with steamed rice.

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Taiwan Eats: Taiwanese Meat Sauce With Rice (Lu Rou Fan)
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