lu rou fan (taiwanese braised pork)

my mom made this all the time (like many Taiwanese moms). I suddenly smelled this walking by someone's lunch yesterday, and promptly looked up a recipe and made it. every person in our fam liked it, too!

lu rou fan / taiwanese braised pork over rice

serves 4-6

1.5 lbs mix of pork belly with skin on, and pork shoulder (might try and use just ground pork next time)

1/4 cup minced shallots

8 garlic gloves, minced

4 ginger slices

2-3 star anise

1/2 tsp five spice powder

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 cup cold water

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

3-6 hard boiled eggs (optional)

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Brown pork in instant pot (using saute function): Add 1 tbsp peanut oil, make sure whole bottom is coated. Lightly season pork belly's skin with salt. Place skin side down and brown pork for roughly 5 mins per side. Lightly season the other side of pork with salt. Then set aside. 

Add 1.5 tbsp butter to instant pot, making sure the whole bottom is coated. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar, then stir very occasionally until caramelized or sugar has a deep brown color.

Stir in shallots to keep sugar from burning. Then add in ginger and garlic. Saute for 1 more minute. 

Pour 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine and 1 cup cold water into pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. 

Add in 2-3 star anise, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, 1/2 tsp five spice powder,  and 1/4 tsp ground white pepper. Give it a quick mix, then turn off the heat. 

Slowly cut the pork into thin strips, and add to Instant pot. Stir. 

Close lid, turn venting knob to sealing position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release.

Vent the Instant pot, carefully releasing the steam. Remove and discard the star anise and ginger chunks. Add in hard boiled eggs, and simmer the pot on Saute function to break down the meat and thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally. 

Taste and add any more salt or sugar to taste. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve over rice. 

bbq pork spare ribs

falling off the bone yum!

bbq pork spare ribs
makes 6 servings

4 lbs pork spare ribs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (we like Bull's Eye)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Peel off the tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.

Mix together the sugar and spices to make a rub.

Apply rub to ribs on all sides.

Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.

Lay two layers of foil on top and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.

Remove from the oven.

Heat broiler.

Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2-3 ribs.

Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up. Brush on sauce and broil for 1-2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.

Remove from oven, turn ribs over, brush on sauce and broil for another 2-4 minutes, until browned and crisp.

miso braised pork shoulder

the sauce is really good, tastes the same as Japanese gyudon (the thin sliced beef with sauteed onions served on top of warm rice).

miso braised pork shoulder
serves 6

2 1/2 - 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
freshly ground pepper
canola oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 pack of baby carrots, or 4 carrots, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 cup rice wine or dry white wine
1 cup water
3 tbsp miso paste, preferably red
2 tbsp soy sauce

noodles or rice
sliced scallions
sesame seeds

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325ºF with rack positioned in lower third of oven. Season pork shoulder chunks generously with black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium-high flame in a Dutch Oven. Working in batches, brown pork on all sides, adding more oil to the pan if needed. As pork is browned, transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil over medium flame in a Dutch oven. Add onion and carrots and sweat vegetables about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning of onions (reduce heat if necessary). Add garlic and ginger to pot and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add half the wine and half the water to the pot along with the miso paste and soy sauce and stir to combine, breaking up the miso paste with the back of a wooden spoon.

Pour remaining wine and water into Dutch oven and add pork and any accumulated juices. Stir to combine. Liquid should nearly cover pork. If not, add a little water. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Carefully press parchment paper down onto meat mixture in Dutch oven.

Cover pot with lid and transfer to oven. Braise for 1 hour. Remove from oven, check to see if you need to add a little more water (be judicious here). Give it a good stir, return to oven and braise until meat is completely fork tender, about another 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile cook rice or noodles, depending on your choice. Time it to finish when pork is done.

If the remaining liquid is fairly watery, transfer pork and carrots to a large bowl with a slotted spoon and tent with foil. Bring sauce in Dutch oven to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Don’t overdo this, though—concentrating it too much will make it overly salty. If the broth/sauce is to your liking, proceed to the next step, using a slotted spoon to plate the meat and carrots and ladling the sauce separately.

Spoon noodles or rice into individual shallow bowls. Top with meat and carrots and ladle sauce over it. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and serve.

vietnamese pork noodles (bun)

My latest craving is nothing but Vietnamese food, so this was my attempt at making it at home. So yummy!

Vietnamese Cold Pork Chop Noodles (bun)
serves 4

For pickled carrots/daikon:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 thai chile pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

For pork chops:
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
4 1" thick-cut bone-in pork chops, (2.5 lbs total)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
kosher salt

For nuoc cham sauce:
6 tbsp fresh lime juice (3 limes)
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press or smashed, and finely minced
2 small, thin fresh red or green chiles, seeded and chopped (optional)

For noodles:
1/2 head lettuce, sliced thinly
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
8 oz. white vermicelli noodles (rice sticks)

Prepare pickled vegetables: Heat vinegar and sugar in saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and refrigerate to cool. Place daikon and carrot in glass jar with the cilantro and optional chile peppers. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over, submerging the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare pork chops:
Whisk shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and pepper in a shallow dish. Using a fork, pierce pork chops all over (to allow marinade to penetrate faster) and add in marinade in dish. Turn to coat. Cover and let pork chops marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, for 20 mins, or refrigerate if not cooking until later.

Prepare nuoc cham sauce: Combine all ingredients in a jar until sugar is dissolved.

Cook pork chops: 
Remove pork chops from marinade, scraping off excess. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season pork chops with salt. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 mins per side. Let pork chops rest 10 minutes before serving. Slice into thin pieces to place on top of noodles.

Cook noodles:
Boil 3 quarts of water, add noodles and cook for 3 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Assemble noodle bowl: Place toppings, slices of pork chop, and pickled vegetables on top of noodles. Pour 1-2 tbsp of nuoc cham sauce over, and mix to combine. Enjoy!

 

asian pulled pork buns

Asian pulled pork buns
makes 12 servings

For sauce: 

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

3 tbsp ketchup or sriracha sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

 1 pork shoulder

½ bunch green onions, sliced thin

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Chinese mantou or American potato sandwich buns

Put sauce ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.

Add 1/4-1/2 of the sauce, along with the meat to the slow cooker and add water to cover meat completely. Cover with lid and cook the meat on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

When the pork is done, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and shred the pork, removing any skin, fat and bones.

Return the meat to the pot or large bowl and stir it in the remaining sauce.

Serve the meat inside a bun, and topped with a few green onions and cilantro sprigs.

asian pulled pork

A variation on the usual pulled pork I made for a friend's bridal shower.

asian pulled pork
makes 12 servings

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp ketchup or sriracha sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
 4 lbs boneless butt pork roast, trim off fat and cut into 2 in pieces

1 bunch green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
12 Chinese-style steamed buns

Add everything but the meat to the slow cooker and whisk to combine. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cover and cook the meat on low for 8 hours.

When the pork is done, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and shred the pork.

Return the meat to the pot, stir it into the remaining sauce.

Serve meat on top of buns with sliced green onions and/or cilantro.