Serves 4
Jennifer Che’s recipe for Taiwanese meat sauce, lo bah png, marries earthy Chinese black mushrooms with soy sauce to create a ground pork dish rich with umami. Sweet and fragrant Chinese five-spice is at most specialty markets. Rice wine sweetens the dish, and hard-cooked eggs, which cook briefly in the sauce, are the garnish on the plate. Lo bah png is rarely served on its own, so stir-fry bok choy or Chinese broccoli in garlic as a simple side. Serve over rice.
| 6 | dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes |
|---|---|
| 1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
| 6 | shallots, finely chopped |
| 1 | pound ground pork |
| 2 | tablespoon rice wine |
| ⅓ | cup soy sauce |
| 2 | cups water |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| 1 | teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder |
| 4 | eggs |
| Rice (for serving) |
1. Drain the mushrooms; chop them.
2. In a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until they brown. Add the mushrooms and pork and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until the pork is browned.
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3. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, water, sugar and five-spice powder. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and cook steadily for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and peel off the shells.
5. Ten minutes before the pork mixture is finished cooking, carefully place the eggs in the mixture so they are completely submerged in liquid.
6. Remove the eggs from the sauce and slice them thickly. Spoon rice into 4 shallow bowls. Add meat sauce and garnish with eggs.
The steps:
