Vegan Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese-Style Braised Pork Rice)

Lu Rou Fan is traditionally known as a Taiwanese street food favourite, made of braised minced pork with a savory/spicy sauce. A steamy bowl of white jasmine rice normally compliments this dish. I have created a vegan version of this mouth-watering recipe, using a plant-based pork alternative: OmniPork.

OmniPork is designed to be an all-purpose, plant-based pork alternative that is both environmentally friendly and nutritious. What makes OmniPork vs ground pork special is the fact that it manufactured using 68% less energy, it has 100% less saturated fat, 327% more calcium, 127% more iron and each 100g of OmniPork has 0mg of cholesterol.

I am not going to lie, this was absolutely delicious. What’s even better, this takes 15-20 minutes to make! All you need are these specific ingredients and you will make yourself the most comforting bowl of Asian flavours… ever!

Firstly, I use Mizkan sushi seasoning instead of Chinese rice vinegar. It adds that extra bit of sweetness for the slightly salty Omnipork I’ve used for this recipe. It’s a great substitute if you don’t have access to rice vinegar, and it’s also multipurpose. However, if you do have access to a local Chinese grocer, do use Shaoxing wine or rice vinegar. It will taste similar, but vary in sweetness.

Second, fermented black beans with dried chillies is a game changer. Adding this to the recipe will give your dish the perfect kick. I got my bottle of black beans with dried chilli from For Me Honey, a local company here in Hong Kong, but you can make do with fresh black beans soaked in warm water, and a few dried chilli pieces.

You will also need need mushroom stock powder to get that extra flavour going when you marinate the plant-based pork. Some mushroom powders have MSG, so if you’re sensitive to that, definitely buy one without.

Brands like LEE KUM KEE say they have no MSG added, but if you look at the label, they have E number (a universal code for foods) E631, which may come from pig fat.

I use the mushrooms stock powder from Kayanoya (available at CitySuper or Amazon). This brand is from Japan and contains a higher percentage of mushroom than other brands, and no white sugar.

Additionally, I used OmniPork which is a plant-based pork substitute, and it tastes delicious. It may be on the slightly saltier side for some, so if you’re not keen on trying that, you can always use minced mushrooms instead. It tastes as comforting.

I hope you like this recipe! Comment here, share and support if you do.

Vegan Lu Rou Fan

A vegan version of the Taiwanese-style braised pork rice that is flavourful, easy to make and perfect for family gatherings.

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Servings 2

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ Handful of dehydrated nameko mushrooms soaked in 1 cup of hot water
• ▢ 2 tsps mushroom stock powder
• ▢ 3 tbsps soy sauce
• ▢ 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar sugar-free
• ▢ 1 tsp black fermented beans
• ▢ 1 tbsp dried chilli optional, if you want it extra spicy
• ▢ 1.5 tsps of brown sugar or 1 tbsp of agave if you want low-GI
• ▢ 1 tsp Chiu Chow Chilli Oil or your favourite chilli oil will do
• ▢ 2 shallots sliced
• ▢ 1 tsp of minced garlic
• ▢ 1 packet of Onmipork minced meat thawed or you can use the same amount of brown button mushrooms

Instructions

• Thaw the Omnipork – remove from the packet and marinate with 2 tbsps of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sushi seasoning and 1 tsp of brown sugar. Set aside
• Heat up ~2 tbsps of black sesame oil
• Sauté the shallots until golden brown
• Add the black fermented beans with dried chilli (optional)
• Sauté again until fragrant
• Add the garlic, and mix together until fragrant
• Strain the rehydrated mushrooms, keep the water aside. Mince the mushrooms and add the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté this until fragrant
• Add the Omnipork and the mushroom water bit by bit. You may not need all the water, so pour it in slowly. You simply need enough to cook through the OmniPork. The end result does not need to be watery, it’s more dry in texture.
• Using the back of the spatula, crumble the the Omnipork to ensure it does not cook in large lumps. Using additional water will help with avoiding lumps.
• Add the extra tbsp of soy sauce, the extra 1/2 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of chilli oil
• If the mixture is too dry, add a few more tbsps of water and stir it all in until the Omnipork is fully cooked.
• Garnish with some fresh chopped chives and spring onion
• Serve hot!

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