Background of Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Rice

Taiwanese pork belly rice known as “The national rice” in Taiwan.  For everyone who have been to Taiwan or a Taiwan restaurant must have tasted this irresistible bowl of rice. 

Use pork belly as main ingredient to stew with master sauce for at least an hour, then pour the stewed sauce with integration of pork skin, fat, meat on a bowl of traditional Taiwanese Japonica rice, the unforgettable flavor is born.

History of the “National Rice”

Then what makes this “national rice” so popular in Taiwan? It has to be traced back to the time after the war.  Taiwanese at that time were struggling in living and seldom have meat in their daily meal, therefore, they diced the pork belly into small pieces and stewed it to make sure every family member can get some amount of it.  

And this became an economical method to provide energies for people in grassroot level.

Nowadays, Taiwanese pork belly is one of the “must have” food in Taiwan.  I remember when I travelled around Taiwan few years back then, almost every restaurants serve this rice (Even the breakfast in hotel serve this!! ^^).

Let follow the recipe and learn to cook this fascinated dish at home!

Braised Pork Belly Rice (Taiwanese Luo Pork Rice 魯肉飯)

Braised pork belly rice is called as "the National rice" by Taiwanese. Using pork belly to stew with master sauce for at least an hour, pairing with a bowl of traditional Taiwanese Japonica rice. This is an unforgettable flavour that you should try!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Taiwanese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 450 g Pork belly
• 1 piece Shallot
• 1-2 piece (s) Egg
• 400 ml Water
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Rock sugar

Seasonings

• 80 ml Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Five spices powder
• 50 ml Chinese rice wine

Instructions

 

• Prepare all ingredients and seasonings.
  
• Boil the egg (s) with hot water.  Peel the egg shell after that.
  
• Dice the pork belly into 1cm x1cm cube (Including the pork skin).
• Heat a pot with oil and add fry the sliced shallot.

  (Tips: Add a piece of pork belly fat to the pot at this time to enhance the flavours and caramelization before putting the pork belly into it.)
  
• Add diced pork belly and fry it.
  
• Add rock sugar, all seasonings, water and egg(s) into the pot. 

  (Tips: Add 5ml of dark soy sauce to make it more coloured.)
  
• Left it for a slow stew for an hour.  Then you can serve it!

Keyword master sauce, national rice, pork, pork belly rice, Taiwanese