Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice
台式滷肉飯
Recipe overview
Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice. Follow the 12 steps in order, keep pieces even, and serve promptly or chill safely.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 700 grams Skin-on pork belly (Thaw fully, inspect, and cut into pieces about 1 centimetre wide and 2–3 centimetres long; do not wash.)
- 150 grams Shallots (Slice about 2 millimetres thick for fried shallots.)
- 5 cloves Garlic (Finely mince.)
- 100 millilitres Taiwanese cooking rice wine (Food-grade; use 100 millilitres unsalted stock plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar for alcohol-free cooking.)
- 800 grams Hot white rice (For serving.)
- 300 grams Bok choy or choy sum, optional (Blanch separately.)
Fried shallot oil
- 120 millilitres Cooking oil (Slow-fry shallots; reserve about 2 tablespoons shallot oil for braising.)
Taiwanese braising sauce
- 4 tablespoons Light soy sauce or Taiwanese soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dark soy sauce (For a little colour only.)
- 20 grams Rock sugar or sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon White pepper
- 600 millilitres Hot water (Reduce naturally; do not thicken with starch.)
Final flavour adjustment
- up to 1 teaspoon Light soy sauce or Taiwanese soy sauce (Taste after reducing.)
- up to 5 grams Rock sugar or sugar (Use only to balance saltiness.)
02
Tools
- Large deep heavy-bottomed pot with lid
- small stainless frying pan
- wooden spoon
- silicone spatula
- separate raw and cooked-food tongs
- separate boards
- knife
- large bowl
- medium bowl
- three small bowls
- measuring cup
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- kitchen paper
- instant-read thermometer
- oven mitts and four white deep rice bowls.
03
Steps
Step 1
Thaw and inspect pork
Thaw in the refrigerator; reject sour, slimy, grey-green or partly frozen pork. Do not wash raw pork.
Step 2
Cut pork belly
On the raw-meat board cut 1-centimetre-wide, 2–3-centimetre-long pieces with skin, fat and lean intact.
Step 3
Prepare aromatics
Slice shallots 2 millimetres thick and finely mince garlic; keep cooked-food tools separate.
Step 4
Fry shallots
Slowly fry shallots in 120 millilitres oil over medium-low heat until light golden, never dark brown.
Step 5
Drain shallots
Lift out the fried shallots onto kitchen paper and reserve about 2 tablespoons of shallot oil.
Step 6
Render pork
Brown pork in a little shallot oil in the deep pot until lightly golden and some fat renders.
Step 7
Add garlic and shallots
Stir in garlic and part of the fried shallots briefly until fragrant.
Step 8
Add wine and sauce
Add rice wine, soy sauces, sugar, five-spice and white pepper; bring to a clear boil.
Step 9
Add hot water
Add 600 millilitres hot water, maintain a gentle simmer and skim excess foam or oil.
Step 10
Braise gently
Cover and simmer 40–50 minutes until skin and fat are soft but distinct.
Step 11
Reduce naturally
Uncover and reduce to a glossy deep amber sauce that still flows; verify the thickest pork is at least 71°C. Do not use cornstarch.
Step 12
Serve
Spoon pork, a little flowing sauce and remaining fried shallots over hot rice; add blanched greens if desired.
Common mistakes
- Do not skip ingredient checks or doneness checks, and never mix raw and cooked food tools.
Tips
Do not skip ingredient checks or doneness checks, and never mix raw and cooked food tools.
