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Let's make the popular street food, Taiwanese minced meat. With chunks of tender pork belly swimming in a savory sauce with boiled eggs served over rice, this dish always hits the spot.
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What makes this dish special
Taiwanese minced meat (Lu Rou Fan) is one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan, in addition to beef noodle stew. Ground pork or pork belly is simmered in a soy sauce-based sauce and served over rice. I've never had Taiwanese minced meat sauce at one restaurant that was exactly the same as another, since the seasonings vary according to the cook. Regardless, the dish is incredibly flavorful wherever you go and easy enough to prepare yourself.
For more popular Taiwanese recipes with my twist, check out this satay beef noodle soup, Taiwanese sausage McMuffin, and shrimp burgers with tartar sauce!
Ingredients
- Pork belly: Pork belly is the main protein source, providing rich flavor and fat content. It's traditional for this dish and contributes to the luxurious texture and taste.
- Fried shallots: Provide a savory, slightly sweet taste that's essential to the authentic flavor profile. You can find fried shallots at Asian markets or online.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is the primary seasoning, adding saltiness and umami flavor to the meat. It also contributes to the dark color of the finished dish.
- Rice wine: Adds complexity to the flavor and helps to reduce the gaminess of the pork. Rice wine also aids in tenderizing the meat during cooking.
- Rock sugar: Rock sugar is crystallized sugar often used in Asian cooking. It provides a subtle sweetness that balances the salty and savory flavors. It also gives the sauce a slight glaze and sheen.
- Chinese 5 spice: This spice blend adds warmth and complexity to the dish, typically including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds.
- Star anise: Contributes a distinct licorice-like flavor and adds depth and aroma to the sauce.
- Boiled eggs: While not essential to the meat sauce itself, boiled eggs are a traditional addition that absorbs the flavors of the sauce and provides additional protein and texture to the dish.
Substitutions and variations
- Protein: You can replace pork belly with pork butt for a leaner version. You can also try this recipe with chicken, beef, or tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Spicy: If you want a spicy kick, add Szechuan peppercorns or chopped Thai chilis.
Recipe
Taiwanese Minced Meat
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup fried shallots
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound pork belly sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine
- 1.5 ounce rock sugar
- 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
- 3 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 large boiled eggs shells removed
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and fried shallots and saute for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the pork belly and stir to combine.
- Add water, soy sauce rice wine, rock sugar, Chinese 5 spice, star anise, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the boiled eggs and simmer for another 15 minutes. Skim excess fat and serve over rice.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare pork
Ask any Taiwanese individual about this dish, and I guarantee you that they will know what it is. There are many different variations out there, some including ginger, others with cinnamon, and some even using pork butt, but this recipe is my version.
You can use ground pork, pork belly, or even ground beef. It's preferable to use meat that has some fat, so resist purchasing the extra lean ground pork.
If using pork belly, cut the meat into small strips. If you have a large piece of pork butt, boil it in water for 10 minutes to remove any blood, remove and rinse off the scum. Cut the pork into small strips and let it cool before continuing with the recipe.
Step 2: Cook pork
As mentioned before, every recipe varies slightly, but most include bay leaves, star anise, and fried shallots.
You can find fried shallots at Asian markets, specifically Chinese markets. If you can't locate the item, you can purchase fresh shallots and fry them yourself.
Heat oil in a large pot and saute the fried shallots and garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the pork belly, followed by the remaining ingredients.
Many Chinese dishes use rock sugar instead of brown sugar or granulated sugar. Unlike white sugar, rock sugar helps round out the dish and is not as sweet.
Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Although this sauce takes almost an hour, it's mostly inactive time. You're simply throwing everything into a pot and letting it cook over low heat, allowing the flavors to slowly develop.
Step 3: Add eggs
Thirty minutes later, the sauce has already darkened in color. Add the boiled eggs and let the eggs absorb the flavors as the sauce continues to simmer.
Taiwanese minced meat sauce is typically served over rice, but it can also be tossed with noodles. What's great about this dish is that the sauce is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.
One bite of this dish and I was immediately taken back to the night markets in Taiwan. The pork is so tender, while the eggs add substance. I particularly enjoy the subtle licorice flavor from the star anise and the spice from the Chinese 5-spice. Easy to prepare and delicious, what more can I ask for?
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The dish can be prepared the night before and reheated before serving.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, fried shallots build the flavor for the sauce and contribute umami. If you can't find fried shallots, you can fry fresh shallots.
Yes, the eggs are optional and can be omitted without significantly altering the dish.
Yes, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Taiwanese recipes
Looking for more Taiwanese dishes? Try these:
Nina says
when do you add the water? With the soy sauce?
cma0425 says
Yes when I meant in the recipe "add soy sauce-Chinese 5 spice, that meant all items listed in the ingredient list starting from soy sauce and ending with Chinese 5 spice. That includes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine
1.5 ounce rock sugar
2 cups water
3 star anise
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
amber says
Is it really a cup of shallots?
cma0425 says
Yes it is. It may seem like a lot but the fried shallots do add flavor to the dish.
Tanni says
Have you tried this in a slow cooker? I was wondering about how the time adjustments would be.
cma0425 says
I haven't tried it but that's a great idea! Since it only takes 30 minutes to cook on the stove top, I imagine it wouldn't take long in the slow cooker - maybe 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours?
Charlynn lim says
Hi. What soy sauce should i use? Kikkoman or coconut or dark soy sauce? May i know d exact brand you’re using. Thank you. This looks good.
cma0425 says
Hi Charlynn, I used kikkoman soy sauce for this recipe.