Taiwanese Minced Pork Sauce 肉燥

I fell in love with this humble dish when I lived in Taiwan. It's called 肉燥 in Chinese. It's one of those foods that adds that extra oomph to a simple dish. It is served almost everywhere and usually as topping on rice, dry or soup noodles, boiled vegetables, etc. My friends and I find it irresistible and love to order this at different eateries, comparing the taste of each. The key to making this dish is lots of fried shallots, minced pork (fattier version tastes better for me, but if you prefer to use leaner minced meat it is fine too) and five spice powder.

Instead of ground meat, some people prefer the bite of pork meat cut into small pieces. You can use that too if desired, and find a cut that contains some fats as it adds to the fragrance and taste.

Whenever I cook this, I tend to make extra to store in the refrigerator - during the week, just heat some up and add to our rice or noodles. It will last much longer if kept in the freezer.

TAIWANESE MINCED PORK SAUCE RECIPE
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Ingredients:
12 small shallots (about 4 oz in total)
2 cups vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic (minced)
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cooking rice wine
1 tsp five spice powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp + pinch of salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
2 cups water
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)

Steps:
(If you want to add mushrooms, start off by soaking them in warm water. When they become soft later, about 20-30 minutes, dice them into small pieces.)

Peel shallots and cut into thin slices. Using a small pot, heat up 2 cups vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Once oil is hot, transfer shallots into oil. Stir regularly and watch the shallots closely after 2-3 minutes as they get burnt easily beyond a certain point. When they turn a light golden color, turn off heat and remove pot from stove. Add a pinch of salt into the oil as it will help crisp up the shallots. They will continue to brown in the hot oil. The fried shallots and some of the shallot oil will be used later. 
(Note: If you do not wish to make your own fried shallots, you can get ready made ones from Asian supermarkets).

Using a wok (or skillet), add 1 tbsp of shallot oil prepared above to the wok. Lightly-brown the minced garlic. Over high heat, add ground pork and pan-fry till pork fats have partially melted and meat is lightly browned. Season meat with soy sauce, rice wine, five spice powder, sugar, salt and pepper.

If you prefer to include mushrooms, add them now. It adds a very nice flavor and texture to the sauce. Adjust seasoning accordingly.

Add water, fried shallots and 3 tbsp shallot oil to the wok. Cover and simmer over low fire for 1 hour. When ready, serve as topping over rice, noodles or boiled vegetables.


Tips:
- Like many stewed dishes, this tastes even better the next day.
- Save the rest of the shallot oil for cooking other dishes, it brings a wonderful fragrance.