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Taiwan railway bento
Táitiě biàndāng (台鐵便當): rice with a braised pork chop, soy egg, pickled greens and dried tofu
TaiwaneseSince the 1940s, the Taiwan Railway has sold a famous biandang on its trains and platforms: a box of rice topped with a soy-braised pork chop, a dark lu dan egg, a few strands of suan cai pickled mustard greens and slices of braised dried tofu. Taipei commuters still buy thousands a day, and families make it at home for packed lunches. The common mistake is frying the pork chop straight from thick; beat it thin first or it curls and toughens. Chef's tip: braise the eggs and tofu in the same pot after the pork, so they soak up its flavour.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pork
- 4 boneless pork loin chopsabout 150 g each
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp five-spice powder
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
For the braise
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 4 eggshard-boiled for 9 minutes and peeled
- 4 pieces dried tofu (dougan)
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb cooked short-grain rice
- 2 ⅞ oz pickled mustard greens (suan cai)rinsed and chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pound 4 boneless pork loin chops between baking paper to about 1 cm thick and snip the fat at the edge in 2–3 places so they lie flat.
Step 2: Mix 4 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp five-spice powder and 3 cloves garlic. Marinate the chops in half of it, covered in the fridge, for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Lift out the chops, dust with 3 tbsp sweet potato starch or cornflour and fry in 3 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes a side, until golden and 145°F in the centre. Rest for 3 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Put the rest of the marinade, 1 ¾ cups water and 1 star anise in a pan and bring to a simmer. Add 4 eggs and 4 pieces dried tofu (dougan) and simmer gently for 20 minutes, turning, until both are evenly brown.
20 minStep 5: Dip the chops in the braise for 1 minute to glaze. Pile 1 ¾ lb cooked short-grain rice into boxes and top with a chop, a halved egg, tofu slices, 2 ⅞ oz pickled mustard greens (suan cai) and 7 oz stir-fried cabbage or greens. Spoon over a little braising liquid. Cool quickly and keep cold, or eat warm.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does taiwan railway bento take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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