Lu Rou Fan Recipe (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl 滷肉饭)

Lu Rou Fan or Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice as some may call it, is one of the most popular foods you can find all over Taiwan. It is a rich meat sauce that is savory, flavorful and pairs perfectly well with anything you add with it. And in this recipe, I will be showing you how to make it in the most authentic way possible.

In this recipe post, I will be sharing with you all how to make the best tasting Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭 you have ever had.

It’s a recipe straight out of Taiwan, the home country in which many people say it originated from.

In fact, my first encounter with this dish was when I was roaming around the night markets in Taipei. I was hungry and was in search of something to eat, and what caught my eyes (or nose I should say) is the delicious smells coming from a certain vendor. So I went up to the vendor and found them serving this type of braised meat on top of some rice. I thought it was nothing special at first, but since it was being offered at a cheap price, I just knew I had to try.

One bite out of this dish and I knew I instantly fell in love with it. The dish was extremely tender and flavorful, which made every bite so much more enjoyable.

It was then that I knew that this dish was something special. So I took it upon myself to learn how to make this incredible dish. And after a few years of learning, I can say with certainty that I have finally mastered how to make this dish.

Which is why in this post, I want to share with you all exactly how I make this amazing dish.

My hopes is that for those of you who do try to make this dish will be able to enjoy it and fall in love with it just as much as I have.

What Is Lu Rou Fan?

If you are ever roaming around the streets of Taiwan, one food that you will commonly see is one called Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭.

This dish is literally everywhere as many shops and vendors all around Taiwan will sell this amazing dish. It’s a favorite among many locals and tourists alike who come here wanting to try something truly delicious.

Now a quick note is that the origins of this dish is heavily debated between many people. Some people say that it comes from Shandong, China, where as other groups say that it was invented in Taiwan.

Even the Taiwanese Government has gotten involved and has claimed this dish as their very own.

But all I really know is that, no matter where this dish originated from, it is absolutely delicious.

For those that don’t know what it is, this dish is basically ground pork meat that has been braised for quite a while with tons of seasonings and spices to help produce something that is out of this world.

It is commonly paired with rice or noodles and provides a rich and savory taste that everybody loves.

It actually has a lot of similarities with another dish called “Hong Shao Rou” which you can find in my recipe post here.

Ingredients Used To Make Lu Rou Fan

The ingredients you’ll need to make Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭 can all be acquired at any of your local supermarkets.

To make this dish, the following ingredients you’ll need are:

• Vegetable Oil – 2 Tablespoon
• Garlic Cloves – 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
• Ground Pork – 2 Pounds
• Fried Shallots – 1/2 Cup
• Sugar – 1 Tablespoon
• Five-Spice Powder 1 Teaspoon
• Rice Wine – 1 Cup
• Water – 4 Cup
• Light Soy Sauce – 1 Cup
• Dark Soy Sauce – 1/4 Cup
• Steamed rice or Cooked Noodles – 6 Servings

And that’s basically it!

How To Make Lu Rou Fan

Making Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭 is a relatively simple process.

It does however take a bit of time because you have to braise and cook the meat for quite a while.

But other than that, it is pretty straight forward.

The process to make this dish is as followed:

First thing you’ll need to do is grab a large saucepan or a wok and pour some oil into it over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot enough, you’ll want to add in the minced garlic and cook it until they start to sizzle and smells fragrant.

Add in the ground pork and break it up using your spatula into fine pieces as you stir things around. You want to keep cooking and stirring until the pork is lightly browned and no longer pinkish in color.

After that, you’ll want to add in your fried shallots, sugar, and five-spice powder. Continue to stir until the sugar dissolves.

Add the rice wine in and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about a minute or so while making sure to continuously stir things around.

Then you’ll want to add in the light and dark soy sauce and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.

Place a cover on top and let the mixture simmer until the sauce has thickened and the meat becomes very tender. This should take around 1 to 2 hours. Preferably 2 hours if possible.

After that, turn off the heat. It is now ready to serve.

Pour it on top of some steamed rice or noodles and you are ready to eat.

How To Store/Keep For Later

Storing Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭 is a relatively easy thing to do.

Basically all you need to do is to keep it inside an airtight container with a lid on. Then simply store it in the fridge. This should keep well for up to 3 days at most.

As for freezing, I haven’t tried freezing this item yet. But I would assume it should freeze just fine like any other cooked meats.

When you are wanting to re-heat this dish, you can either use the stove to cook it again or you can pop it in the microwave for a few minutes. Both methods work out perfectly and will have your dish tasting just like new.

Did you try making my Lu Rou Fan / Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl / 滷肉饭? If so, how were they? I would love to hear all about it down in the comment section below or you can connect with my on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

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