Instant Pot Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Rice)
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Taiwan
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 20 minutesminutes
Total Time: 40 minutesminutes
Servings: 4servings
Calories: 1075kcal
Author: Marvellina
Pork belly is braised in a savory, rich sauce and smothered on top of rice. Lu Rou Fan is a delicious and comforting dish that has stood the test of time. Its savory and rich flavors, coupled with its versatility, make it a staple in Taiwanese cuisine and a must-try for anyone who loves pork and rice. Both pressure cooker and stove-top recipes are included.
Cut the purple onion or shallots into thin slices. Pour the oil into a small saucepan or skillet. Start with cold oil, add the onion/shallots and turn the heat to medium. When the oil starts to heat up, lower the heat to medium-low and let them fry slowly until golden brown. Don't crank up the heat too high because they get burnt easily. Remove the fried shallots from the oil. The oil can be used for cooking and it has nice aroma
You can prepare the hard-boiled eggs the day before and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use
Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
Press saute on instant pot. When it's hot enough, add pork belly slices and let them cook undisturbed to let them brown a bit, about 4-5 minutes. Add all the aromatics. seasonings, fried shallots you made earlier and water. This also deglazes the bottom of the pot at the same time, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release those aromatic bits and to prevent triggering the "burn" warning from Instant Pot
Cover and lock the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker" then "high pressure". Set timer to 30 minutes. If you use ground pork, cooking time is 15 minutes. After the timer beeps, carefully release pressure immediately. Carefully unlock the lid and have a final taste and add more salt to your taste if needed. Remove the hard-boiled eggs so they won't be too overcooked. Turn on saute mode back on and let the sauce cook until reduces almost half. Skim off some extra fat and add the hard-boiled eggs back in and then proceed to serve
Cooking on stove-top:
Preheat the wok or heavy-bottom pot . When it's hot enough, add pork belly slices and let them cook undisturbed to let them brown a bit, about 4-5 minutes. Add all the aromatics, seasonings, fried shallots you made earlier, and water. This also deglazes the bottom of the pot at the same time, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release those aromatic bits
Add 1 cup of water or enough just to cover the meat and hard-boiled eggs in. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to let it gently simmer away. Cover with the lid, leaving slightly ajar. Let it gently braise for the next 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Have a final taste, add more salt if needed. It should be savory with just a hint of sweetness. Remove the hard-boiled eggs so they won't be too overcooked. Let the sauce simmer until it reduces almost half. Skim off some extra fat and add the hard-boiled eggs back in and then proceed to serve
Serving:
Serve by generously topping the white rice with the pork and its sauce. You can serve the hard-boiled egg whole or cut in half. Garnish with some chopped green onions, and cilantro leaves if you like
Video
Notes
I used a mixture of half pork belly and half pork shoulder/butt so the overall dish won't be too greasy. You can also use all pork shoulder if you prefer. I have used ground pork with some fat.