Taiwanese-Style Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)

Cut the skin-on pork belly into strips 0.7 cm × 0.7 cm × 2.5 cm; thin strips braise to a softer texture. Chilling unfrozen pork 30 minutes (or resting frozen pork 30 minutes at room temperature) makes it easier to cut.

Mince the shallots and garlic. Hard-boil the eggs, peel them and score the whites with a knife so the flavor gets in.

Heat a pan over high heat and add 15 ml oil to coat the bottom. Wait 5 seconds, add the pork strips, and stir-fry until the meat turns slightly white; drizzle 10 ml rice wine along the edge and keep stir-frying until the pork stops releasing fat.

Add the shallots and stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant, then keep stirring another 30 seconds.

Push the pork aside, add 20 g rock sugar and heat until it melts and bubbles into caramel, then toss so the caramel coats the pork. Add 75 ml light soy sauce and stir until fragrant.

Add 25 ml rice wine, the garlic, and water to cover the pork. Add 6 g white pepper, 6 g five-spice powder, the star anise, bay leaves and the eggs. After it boils, turn to low heat and braise for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to stop sticking, and adding 100 ml water if it gets too dry. Taste during the braise: too sweet, add soy sauce; too salty, add a little sugar or water.

After 1 hour, turn to high heat and reduce until the sauce is thick and glossy amber. Check that the pork is tender and cooked through (63°C).

Serve the tender braised pork over a bowl of rice with a braised egg.