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4.98 from 97 votes

Instant Pot Taiwanese Braised Pork

Make this Ultimate Classic Taiwanese Comfort Food - Instant Pot Taiwanese Braised Pork (Chinese: 滷肉飯; Lu Rou Fan)! Mouthful of savory-sweet-umami melt-in-the-mouth tender juicy pork belly rice is super comforting & satisfying to eat. You'll fall in love with the gorgeously flavorful Lu Rou Sauce.
Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Garnish:

  • 1 stalk green onion , thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Brown Pork Belly in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says "HOT" in order to induce a maillard reaction.
    Add 1 tsp (5ml) peanut oil in Instant Pot's inner pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with oil.
    Lightly season the pork belly's skin side with salt. Place pork belly's seasoned skin side down in Instant Pot. Brown pork belly for roughly 5 minutes per side. Lightly season the other side of pork belly with salt. Then, brown the pork belly's two thinner sides for 3 minutes per side. Set aside the browned pork belly.
  • Optional Flavor Enhancing Step - Caramelize Sugar: Add 1.5 tbsp (22g) unsalted butter in Instant Pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with melted butter.
    Add 2 tbsp (29g) brown sugar, then stir very occasionally.
    *Pro Tip: Ensure the sugar reaches a deep caramelized color (see photo). This process will take ~1.5 - 2 mins.
  • Saute Shallot and Garlic: Once the brown sugar has a deep brown color, add ¼ cup (60g) deep fried shallots (or minced shallot) in Instant Pot to stop the sugar from burning. Then, add in ginger slices and minced garlic. Saute for another minute.
  • Deglaze: Pour 1 tbsp (15ml) Shaoxing wine and 1 cup (250ml) cold water in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
  • Pressure Cook Pork Belly: Add in 2 - 3 (3g) star anise, 2 bay leaves, 3 tbsp (45ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) Chinese black vinegar, ½ tsp (0.8g) five-spice powder, ¼ tsp (1g) ground white pepper. Give it a quick mix, then turn off the heat.
    Slowly cut the pork belly into small strips (see photo), then place pork belly in Instant Pot, and give it a quick mix.
    *Pro Tip: Ensure the pork belly is partially submerged in the cooking liquid.
    Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Carefully open the lid.
  • Thicken Lu Rou Sauce: Remove & discard the star anise and bay leaves.
    *Pro Tip: If you want to add in soft or hard boiled eggs, add them at this stage.
    Bring the delicious content to a simmer with the "Saute More" function. Let the content simmer for 3 - 10 minutes to break down the meat & thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  • Season & Serve Taiwanese Braised Pork: Taste and season the Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly (for reference, we used 3 pinches of salt & ~1 tsp white sugar here to balance & further bring out the depths of flavors). Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, then serve on rice. Enjoy your delicious Classic Taiwanese Minced Pork!~ :)

Notes

*Fried Shallots: If you don't want to make your own fried shallots, you can purchase ready-to-use fried shallots from Asian supermarkets. If you don't want to purchase additional ingredients, you can also substitute with normal shallots for this dish.
*Soy Sauce: For soy sauce, we used a Taiwanese brand (Kim Lan). Regular soy sauce will work fine as well. Be mindful that every bottle of soy sauce (even the same brand) varies in tastes (especially the level of saltiness), so ensure to taste & adjust the seasoning properly depending on your bottle of soy sauce.
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Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 620kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg