taiwanese minced meat

we don’t normally eat rice. but whenever we make this dish, we just can’t help but eat 2 or 3 bowls of it. minced meat (滷肉) over rice is definitely a taiwanese favorite. the key to this dish is the fried shallots. it’s what gives this dish its unique aromatic flavors. we fried our own shallots, which is way better than store-bought. but yes, you can buy them if you don’t want to bother frying. we used about 10 medium shallots, which roughly converts to a cup after chopping. and after frying, it reduces to 1/2 cup. if you are using the store-bought fried shallots, then scoop 1/2 cup and skip the first 3 steps.

ground pork 1 lb (1/2 kg)
oil 1/2 cup (240 ml)
dark soy sauce 2 tbsp
soy sauce 3 tbsp
sugar 1 tbsp
shallots 1 cup chopped (240 g)
garlic 2 cloves chopped
five-spice powder 1 tsp
anise seed 2

• in a pot, add the oil and turn heat to medium, add the chopped shallots and garlic
• cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally
• once browned, toss in the ground pork and cook to brown also
• then add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, anise seed, and five-spice powder
• add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil
• once boiled, turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes covered

fried shallots, cook until golden brown

serve over a bowl of fluffy white rice

commentaries

jun:

it’s so much more flavorful when you fry your own shallots, especially if you reuse the frying oil to cook the pork. the oil is infused with the aromas of the shallots, which you can’t get by using the store-bought ones.

priscilla:

jun has made a variation with the addition of corn, and i loved it! simply cut the kernels from a fresh cob and add them into the sauce after browning the pork. the corn gives an extra sweetness.

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