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Monday, March 31, 2014

Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Braised Pork and Eggs) 越式卤肉


Vietnamese braised pork is slightly difference from the usual Chinese braised pork. The nice golden and brown colour is not provided from the usual soy sauce but caramel sauce (Nuoc mau). There is no soy sauce is added in this recipe but still given nice colour. Anyway, I didn't prepare Nuoc mau ahead, instead I followed the way that my mother taught me when braise pork, also similar like Nuoc mau, cook sugar and oil till caramelized.



 
Another interesting ingredient in this recipe is using coconut juices (not coconut milk) to replace water. But frankly we couldn't detect any coconut smell from this dish. 


Anyway the gravy was deeply rich in flavour even though the taste was slightly in sweet side (even i have reduced sugar)..


Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Braised Pork Belly and Eggs) 越式卤肉

500g pork belly, cut into 2-3” pieces
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 tofu, slice into 4

2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1/2tsp green peppercorns

2tbsp cooking oil
1tbsp brown sugar or to taste
1tbsp fish sauce or to taste
1tsp salt or to taste
1/4tsp Five-spice powder
1 cup fresh coconut juices 

Method

  1. Using a pestle and mortar, pound garlic, shallots and peppercorns till fine paste.
  2. Heat cooking oil in a pot over medium low heat, add the brown sugar and stir until it melts. Cook the sugar until it turns caramel and deep golden brown.
  3. Add in the pork and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat until the meat is evenly coated with the caramel, but not cooked through. Add in garlic shallot paste, mix to combine.
  4. Add in coconut juices and eggs, the liquid should be generous enough to cover both the pork and eggs to caramelize evenly, if not, add a bit more water or additional coconut water if you still have some left. Add in fish sauce, salt and five-spice powder.
  5. Turn to medium high heat and bring to rolling simmer and cover lid, reducing heat to low. Braise for at least 1 hr (add in tofu after 30mins). The natural sugars of the coconut juice and fish sauce will caramelize the pork and eggs. Taste sauce and adjust with additional fish sauce or sugar to taste.

Recipe reference: here, by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

26 comments:

Jessie-CookingMoments said...

Oh, this is such a yummy dish! I craved for this dish when I was pregnant & I had the Thai version. At home, I do the chinese version but now only I know that it also comes in Vietnamese version. I have to restrict myself from having too much, haha.

Esther Lau said...

Simply delicious by looking at the photos! Very specail Vietnamese version with the coconut water and not soy sauce added and yet the colour is so nice. Love to try this recipe ;)

Small Kucing said...

I love the "wobbly" meat. yums

PH said...

Sonia, this is fantastic! I sure will love this dish :)

Shu Han said...

Really interesting that the dish has a wonderful brown colour without using soy sauce, and just from caramelising sugar! My good friend in London is a Vietnamese chef, and one of her signature dishes is this dish of mackerel or sardines caramelised in coconut water- sounds pretty similar to this base, and I will def try it this time with pork and egg. Looks AMAZING.

Somewhere in Singapore said...

Dinner time coming, makes me hungry, hehe...

Mel said...

Anything dishes that is braised is my comfort food, and I especially love braised pork belly. Bet yours is just simply delicious!!

Jozelyn Ng said...

looks so delicious, would like to try this!

ice pandora said...

Too bad I'm a vegetarian but
this dish sure made me drooool!
Xx

Min said...

Looks delicious! I tried the Chinese version before only, would like to try this too if got time. Miss Vietnamese food a lot :)

Victoria Bakes said...

Very interesting indeed, X the soy sauce! I'm very keen to have a taste of this for sure

Elaine said...

Good morning Sonia,
Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.... got a piece of pork belly waiting to try this out.

Rumbling Tummy said...

It is only in the morning and I am thinking about lunch after looking at this bowl of braise. Gosh it looks so good.

Baby Sumo said...

I bought a Vietnamese cookbook recently too, interested to try out this dish. Yours look very yummy!

Little Corner of Mine said...

I simply loved braised pork with boiled eggs and tofu (but I used frozen tofu here)!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

I had never tried Vietnamese version. I love fish sauce and I'm very intrigued to try this Vietnamese version of braised pork belly!

nandoos kitchen said...

This dish is making me hungry now. Nice clicks.

Lite Home Bake said...

This is interesting, would never have thought that there is no soy sauce in this dish :) A braised dish like this will go well with rice for sure!

Ana Regalado said...

Sonia , this Vietnamese version of braised pork looks fantastic and utterly delish ! Maybe I'll try it sometime , using half coconut milk and half coconut juice .....

CQUEK said...

Thanks for the recipe :)

Gloria Fernandes said...

Looks too good dear.. Will try this soon.. Super tempting..

Cathleen said...

This looks so good! I just had breakfast, but I kind of want this now..Second breakfast?

Fion said...

It's look very delicious,and not that difficult to cook.Sure will try to make it one day

mui mui said...

Hi Chi,
This dish loks so tasty!!
Love to try this version soon :D
mui

lena said...

this looks tasty enough to ask for double bowls of rice!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sonia, I couldn't find any green peppercorn, can replace with white peppercorn or skip to put peppercorn?

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