Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Pork Belly
• 6 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
• 4 Shallots
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup Rice Wine (Shaoxing)
• 1 tbsp Rock Sugar
• 1 tsp Five Spice Powder
• 4 Hard-boiled Eggs
• 4 cups Cooked Rice
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Instructions

1. 1Place the 6 dried shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups of warm water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes until softened. Once softened, remove the mushrooms from the water, gently squeeze out any excess liquid, and dice them into small pieces. Carefully pour the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a separate bowl to remove any grit; set this reserved liquid aside.
2. 2Prepare your aromatics: mince the 4 shallots and mince the 4 cloves of garlic. Cut the 2 lbs of pork belly into roughly 1-inch cubes.
3. 3Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (325°F / 163°C). Add the minced shallots and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Carefully remove the fried shallots from the pot with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. 4In the same pot with the remaining oil, increase the heat to medium-high (375°F / 190°C). Add the 1-inch cubes of pork belly and brown them on all sides, which should take about 5-8 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pot; brown in batches if necessary.
5. 5Reduce the heat to medium (350°F / 177°C). Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice wine, 1 tablespoon rock sugar, and 1 teaspoon five spice powder. Stir everything together to combine.
6. 6Add the diced shiitake mushrooms and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid to the pot. Add enough water to just cover the pork belly. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat (400°F / 204°C), then reduce the heat to low (200°F / 93°C). Add the 4 hard-boiled eggs to the pot, cover it tightly, and let it simmer gently for 1.5 hours, or until the pork belly is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
7. 7Serve the braised pork and eggs over the 4 cups of cooked rice. Top each serving with some of the braised pork, a hard-boiled egg, and the reserved fried shallots.

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