Lu Rou Fan | One-Pot Cooking with Vermicular | Taiwanese Braised Pork

pork belly

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs reduce fat content while pork shoulder is often less expensive.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: low-sodium soy sauce

💰Cheaper: tamari

Low-sodium soy sauce is better for heart health, while tamari is gluten-free.

hard-boiled eggs

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: quail eggs

Tofu is plant-based and lower in cholesterol, while quail eggs are often less costly.

rice wine

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers a tangy flavor with fewer calories.

Make a small hole in each egg for easy peeling

Submerge eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes for soft-boiled and 12 minutes for hard-boiled

Shock eggs in cold ice water after boiling

Chop shallots finely and set aside

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms overnight, then remove stems and dice into 1/8 inch cubes

Blanch pork belly in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to wash off extra porkiness

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and cook shallots until very dark

Add rock sugar to the pot and melt it into the shallots

Stir in sake, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce (3 tablespoons each)

Add diced shiitake mushrooms and mushroom liquid to the pot

Pour in enough water to submerge the pork

Add bay leaves, half a stick of cinnamon, 1 clove, 1 star anise, and dry tangerine skin

Set to low heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes

Add hard-boiled eggs to the pot to absorb flavors

Serve over cooked rice with pickled mustard greens

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens