Croissants with beef, and Lu Rou Fan turned into Lu Beef Fan — domestic beef steals the show at food expo

▲ Taipei International Food Show: Master baker Du Jiaying unveils her innovative beef-filled croissant. (Photo / Provided by the Chinese Culinary & Hospitality Association)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

If Taiwan’s famous Lu Rou Fan (braised pork rice) were made with beef, would it still be as popular? What if croissants were stuffed with beef — would they still be just as beloved? On the 29th, the Taipei International Food Show launched a creative beef cuisine competition, where renowned Chinese chef Zhang Lifeng developed Lu Beef Fan, and master baker Du Jiaying baked beef-filled croissants — all using fresh, delicious domestic beef.

Zhang Lifeng used domestic beef to create a Taiwanese-style braised beef rice, aiming to improve upon the richness of traditional pork Lu Rou Fan. He explained that the secret lies in selecting fresh domestic beef shoulder and ground beef. First, he stir-fries the beef in a hot pan with green onions, then adds rock sugar, soy sauce, crispy garlic, crispy shallots, and pepper to infuse flavor. After simmering the mixture in water for 40 minutes, you get juicy, tender ground beef with a rich sauce. Served over hot rice and paired with pickled radish for extra flavor, it's incredibly refreshing and pairs perfectly with the meal.

Du Jiaying (left image), an assistant professor in the Department of Culinary Arts at Taipei City University of Science and Technology,

took the typically greasy Sanxia-style croissant, added lean beef tenderloin — the most tender cut — along with Yilan’s Sanxing scallions and cheese, creating a savory, meat-filled croissant that "pulls into strings."

Du Jiaying explained that the flaky, soft croissant holds tender, lean cuts of domestic beef, layered with rich cheese and fragrant scallions. The beef is produced and sold locally, eliminating the need for long refrigeration and preserving the juiciness and tenderness of the meat, which melts deliciously into the pastry.