Sunday Supper: Taiwanese Five-Spice Pork With Rice

Serves 6.

Note: Use low-sodium rather than regular soy sauce, or the dish will be too salty. This dish is good topped with a soft-cooked egg: Bring 2 cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add the eggs, cover and steam over medium for 7 minutes. Transfer eggs to ice water to stop the cooking, then shell and halve the eggs before serving. From "The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook," by Christopher Kimball.

• 1 1/2 lb. ground pork

• 1 c. low-sodium soy sauce, divided, plus more, as needed (see Note)

• 1/4 c. grapeseed or other neutral oil

• 12 oz. shallots, halved and thinly sliced

• 10 medium garlic cloves, minced

• 1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar

• 2 tbsp. five-spice powder

• 1 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

• Steamed rice, to serve

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal

In a medium bowl, mix the pork with 1/4 cup soy sauce. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm oil until barely smoking And shallots and cook, stirring, until deeply browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute.

Add sherry, sugar, five-spice powder and remaining 3/4 cup soy sauce. Stir until sugar has dissolved, then increase to high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until reduced and syrupy and a spoon leaves a clear trail, about 5 minutes.

Reduce to low and allow the simmering to subside. Add the pork, breaking it into small pieces. Cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and add more soy sauce, if needed.