Braised Pork Belly and Egg / Thit Kho Tau
There's probably not a single dish that is as iconic to Vietnamese home cooking as Thịt Kho Tàu—a braised pork belly and egg dish that embodies comfort, tradition, and family. For me, it’s a dish that instantly transports me back to my mom’s kitchen. The aroma of braised pork simmering in fish sauce and coconut soda,
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 lbs Skin-On Pork Belly
- 12 Eggs
- Oil (For Frying)
- 1 tbsp Minced Shallot
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 Thai Chili
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Chicken Bouillon
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 can Coco Rico
- 1 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
- 2 Thai Chili
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pork Prep:
- 2
Parboil pork belly in boiling salted water for 10 minutes to help reduce the porky odor. Drain and rinse with cold tap water
- 3
Cut pork belly into one-inch cubes
- 4
In a mixing bowl, marinate pork belly with minced shallots, garlic, chopped Thai chilis, fish sauce, chicken bouillon, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well, and let the pork marinate covered in the fridge for 30 minutes
- 5
Nuoc Mau/Caramel:
- 6
In a large pot on medium-low heat, slowly melt sugar while occasionally stirring to prevent it from burning. Allow the sugar to harden and then fully melt before turning a dark amber color
- 7
Then add in a splash of oil and mix well to loosen the caramel
- 8
Cook:
- 9
Add the marinated pork belly along with any remaining marinade, and brown the pork off for 2-3 minutes
- 10
Add in fish sauce, Coco Rico, water, chopped Thai chilis, and fresh ground black pepper
- 11
Bring the pot up to a rolling boil, skim off any impurities, and then lower the heat and simmer covered on low for 60-75 minutes or until pork belly is mostly tender
- 12
Eggs:
- 13
Hard boil a dozen eggs in a pot of water for 10-12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold tap water to make it easier to handle
- 14
Peel the eggs, and pat dry with a paper towel
- 15
Heat a small pot filled with neutral oil to 350F. Deep fry eggs for 1 minute and allow the exterior of the egg to blister (Optional)
- 16
Remove eggs from the oil, and set on a paper towel to remove excess oil, and then add the double-cooked eggs into the pot with the pork belly
- 17
Let the pork and eggs simmer for another 10-15 minutes
- 18
Make any final adjustments to the seasonings, and then it's time to serve!
- 19
Serve:
- 20
Serve with white jasmine rice, and pair with your favorite blanched veggies or cucumber slices. Make sure you spoon the sauce over your rice for extra flavor! Enjoy!