Lunar New Year recipe: lu rou fan

To usher in the Lunar New Year, chef Sabrina Gan shared her personal recipe for Lu Rou Fan (braised pork rice), a beloved Taiwanese comfort food with roots in Fujianese and Hakka cuisine. 

“Lu Rou Fan evolved in Taiwan through Japanese colonial times from 1895 to 1945 as a resourceful way to make small amounts of pork flavorful for families,” Chef Sabrina explained. 

The dish features pork belly or minced pork braised in soy sauce, rice wine and spices. It is served over rice, often with shallots, garlic and a hard-boiled egg. 

Chinese influences include the braising technique, as well as ingredients such as soy sauce, which were brought by Chinese immigrants, particularly from Fujian. 

“Lu Rou Fan has since become an iconic dish with regional variations and a source of national pride, despite debates over its exact origin,” she added. 

“It is also deeply ingrained in the Taiwanese xiaochi (street food) culture, found everywhere from night markets to homes.” 

Chef Sabrina, who handles various lectures and laboratory courses under the Culinary Arts Management program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, has perfected the recipe for the program’s Asian Cuisine classes. These were designed to allow students to explore various cultures and their traditional food.

Chef Sabrina is a homegrown talent and cum laude graduate from the Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management. Equipped with internships from the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Costigliole d’Asti, and Ristorante Il Convito di Curina in Castelnuovo Berardenga in Italy, she has served as the head chef of Richshaw Fine Diner and Bar in Beijing and has even rendered her expertise in the kitchens of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and the reality show Survivor USA. 

As an educator, her recognitions include silver and bronze awards from the Philippine Culinary Cup.  

Now with over 15 years of experience, she serves as a chef consultant for various establishments, wherein she leads menu planning, recipe development and standardization, food costing and staff training. Currently, she manages the culinary operations for the family and diplomatic events of the Italian Ambassador to the Philippines.

Lu Rou Fan by Chef Sabrina Gan

Ingredients:

● 750g Pork belly (boneless, skin-  on, cut into ½ inch pieces) 

● 10ml Oil

● 10g Garlic, finely minced

● 40g Shallots, finely chopped

● 6pcs Shitake mushrooms, dried (rehydrated and cut into brunoise) 

● 30ml Rice wine

● 40ml Light soy sauce

● 30ml Dark soy sauce 

● Water (enough to cover the meat)

For the spice bag: 

● 1pc Star anise

● 1pc Cinnamon stick

● 3g Orange peel, dried

● 1pc Bay leaf

● 5g Ginger, sliced thinly

Procedure: 

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and blanch the chopped pork belly for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a wok over low heat and add the sugar. Cook the sugar until it starts to melt, and then add the shallots and garlic. Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir-fry the onions for a minute. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another couple of minutes.

3. Add the blanched pork, rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and water. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the spices (which should be inside a tied cheesecloth) and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4. Remove the spice packet and turn up the heat to medium-high to thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally, for around five minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but there should still be plenty of it left. Serve over steamed white rice.