Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)
Sticky cubes of pork belly and crisp shallots braised in master stock, spooned over steaming rice with a soft boiled egg.
Made with Chinese master stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time2 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.86 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Prepare your ready made Chinese master stock (see the base recipe). Put the pork belly cubes in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse off any scum.
3 min - 2
Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Fry the shallots for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden and crisp at the edges. Lift out half onto kitchen paper for topping.
11 min 40 s - 3
Add the pork to the pan and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until the fat turns golden and the edges colour.
7 min - 4
Pour in the master stock and the white pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook very gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pork is soft and the liquid is thick and glossy.
75 min - 5
About 20 minutes before the end, boil the eggs for 6 minutes 30 seconds from boiling, cool them in cold water, peel and halve them. Cook the rice following the packet and steam the pak choi for 3 minutes.
6 min 30 s - 6
If the sauce is thin, uncover and simmer hard for 5 minutes. Spoon the pork and its sauce over the rice, add the eggs, pak choi and the reserved crisp shallots.
Tips
- Blanching the pork first gives a cleaner, clearer sauce with no greyish scum.
- Do not skip browning the shallots. Their sweet, toasty flavour is the soul of the dish.
- Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too quickly before the pork is soft.
Storing and freezing
Keep the pork in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in portions for up to 2 months. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through and reheat only once.
Questions
Can I use pork shoulder instead of belly?
Yes. Use boneless pork shoulder cut into 2 cm cubes and add 15 minutes to the simmering time. The result is leaner and a little less sticky, so reduce the sauce a touch more.
Can I make lu rou fan ahead?
Yes, it improves overnight. Cool it within 90 minutes, chill, then reheat gently with a splash of water until piping hot. Cook the rice and eggs fresh.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, when made with gluten free master stock and plain jasmine rice. It is also dairy free and nut free, but it contains egg.
More made with chinese master stock
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.