This Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan rice bowl features meltingly tender pork belly in a fragrant sauce like nothing else. The sauce covers simple fluffy rice - a splendid way to season the whole dish to perfection. Topped off with a boiled egg this dish is purely delicious.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion, mushroom and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the pork and stir fry for a further 5 minutes to brown. Add the sugar, light soy, dark soy, vinegar, Shaoxing wine, 5-spice and stir for a minute before adding 2 cups of water.
Put the star anise, ginger, bay leaves, orange peel, Sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon stick into a small spice bag. Secure and add to the meat.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook, covered for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, carefully add the eggs to a small pan of boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes then drain and cover with cold water. Remove the shells straight away - they won't stick if they're still hot. Discard the shells and leave the peeled eggs in the water.
After the meat has cooked for an hour, pop the peeled eggs into the sauce and cook (uncovered) for a further 30-40 minutes. The eggs will take on the colour of the sauce.
Remove from the heat and serve.
Serving
Spoon a few spoonfuls over boiled rice and serve a halved egg per person. Sprinkle with crispy shallots and a little spring onion. Serve hot!
Notes
I sometimes like to serve my Lu Rou Fan over a bed of mixed rices. Forbidden rice (black rice) mixed with regular long grain rice is a great combination and you end up with a wonderful purple tinted rice bowl and fragrant, slightly crunchy flecks of rice. It's the perfect combination for the Lu Rou Fan sauce.Serving & Storage SuggestionsThis is a one-dish dinner, so I don't serve it alongside anything else. I'll often add alternative toppings depending on what I have at home.
Substitutes - sometimes I'll top with Chinese pickled or preserved vegetables like mushroom or mustard greens. I'll also add things like radishes, beansprouts, fried garlic, micro greens, chopped peanuts, chilli oil, and sesame seeds.
Storage
Fridge - you can store in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat until hot. If you're using a microwave, remove the boiled egg first.
Freezer - the sauce freezes very well but the boiled eggs do not so remove before freezing. Just add some freshly boiled, fried or poached eggs to the top of your rice bowl when reheating frozen.