Taiwanese Pork and Rice Bowl
I used to have a boss who would regularly make this Taiwanese Pork and Rice Bowl. It is called Lo Ba Bung, which is a Taiwanese Street Food.
It is a filling dinner that has the three things I love for weeknight meals: ités quick, ités cheap, and everyone will eat it.
It has very few ingredients but all together it makes for a meal that is a perfect bite every time.
I call it the Taiwanese Pork and Rice Bowl because some people donét know what Lo Ba Bung is. I am eternally grateful to my boss for teaching it to me and letting me share it.
Iéll keep this one short and sweet. There is a printable recipe card at the end of the post.
Dried Shittake Dreams
I know that some people have an aversion to mushrooms, but they may find shittake to be an exception. These mushrooms are the source of that savory umami flavor youéve heard so much about.
Once youéve tried them and you know you like them you can order a big batch of the dried mushrooms since theyéll keep for a very long time and you can rehydrate them as needed.
High Five Spice
You might be familiar with Chinese five spice from my Most Delicious Beef Skewers or New Years Noodles or from Chinese inspired foods in general.
This is going to blow your mind, but Five Spice tends to consist of five spices. Those spices are fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Even if you donét like any of those spices on their own, it could still be worth trying them all together. If this is your first time using Five Spice, try adding a little while the mixture simmers, take a spoon of the sauce and let it cool to taste it and see if you want to add more.
Egging On
If youéve never had the joy of a hard boiled egg in savory Chinese gravy, youére in for a treat. While you might think of hard boiled eggs as a breakfast food, theyére so amazingly good in ramen or pork bowls like this one.
Take my word for it: it IS all ités cracked up to be.
The Full, Printable Recipe Card
This recipe is so fragrant and comforting. I love making it year round and I bet youéll like it too!
Taiwanese Pork and Rice Bowl
A Taiwanese street food delight.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Ground Pork
- 1 C. Soy Sauce (can sub 1/2 C. of Broth and 1/2 C. Soy Sauce)
- 4 Shallots, minced
- 2 hefty tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 6 Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled
- 6 to 8 Dried Shittake Mushrooms, soaked in water
- 1 C. Water
- 4 C. Cooked White Rice
Instructions
- Before you begin cooking, soak your dried mushrooms in water for at least six hours. Reserve the water after they're rehydrated.
- Brown the shallots until they are a deep golden color.
- Add your ground pork and cook until no longer pink.
- Add your soy sauce and let the mixture simmer.
- Add the 2 tsp. of Chinese Five Spice
- Rough chop the Shittake Mushrooms and add them, and the water they soaked in, to the pork.
- Add the hard boiled eggs to the mixture then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring the eggs to turn them so each side soaks in the broth.
- Serve the meat mixture over rice with an egg per bowl.
It is especially delicious on a busy day when you just donét have time to cook. I keep the ingredients on hand at all times so I can make it in a pinch.
The key to making this recipe perfect is to invest in some high quality soy sauce and some good quality rice.
I know you will love this unique and delicious recipe!
For similar amazing flavors in a somewhat different form, try these Asian Marinated Pork Chops.