Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice

On days when I'm too lazy to cook much, but I want something comforting, I often turn to a quick rice bowl for dinner. I almost always have ground pork in the freezer for just such instances. Whenever I go to the Asian grocery store, I buy a pound of ground pork, and if I don't have any plans to cook with it immediately, just stick it in the freezer. Ground pork is a staple in my kitchen since I frequently use it for dumplings, egg rolls, stir-fries, noodles, or as a main dish like this Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice.

Though the preparation is quick and easy, the taste is similar to a braised pork dish because of the caramelized slightly sweet soy sauce flavors. I added just a touch of Chinese 5-spice powder to add some nuance. Instead of just ground pork, you could also use finely diced pork belly or shoulder.

Taiwanese minced pork rice is often serve with a hard-boiled egg and some mustard greens, but I made due with a fried egg for a quick dinner.





Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice

For 2 servings as a meal or 4 servings as a side, you'll need:
1 large shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground pork
1 tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

Optional: Replace the soy sauce and sugar with 2 tsps Indonesian kecap manis.

 Finely dice one large shallot and mince two cloves of garlic.



In a pan on medium-high heat, drizzle a bit of oil and saute the shallot and garlic until just softened.



Add 1 lb ground pork, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder. While soy sauce is more traditional, I prefer to use Indonesian kecap manis for the darker color and caramelized flavor. If you do too, just replace the soy sauce and sugar in the recipe with a few tsps of kecap manis.



Saute until the pork is thoroughly cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.



Serve with steamed rice.



So simple and delicious that I ate it again the next day.



And added a fried egg on top.



A little overcooked though. I like the yolks slightly runny so it can drizzle onto the rice. Nonetheless, a very simple and satisfying meal.



Enjoy!

Similar dishes you might like:
Spaghetti alla Bolognese
Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry
Zha Jiang Mian (Chinese Fried Sauce Noodles aka "Chinese Spaghetti")

*****
1 year ago today,
2 years ago today,
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4 years ago today, Chao Ga Tay (Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Turkey).
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6 years ago today, gorgeously hued Mashed Okinawan Purple Sweet Potatoes.
7 years ago today, Tiramisu (the 5-minute Non-Recipe Recipe).