Caramelized Pork With Eggs Braised In Coconut Juice- “Thit Heo Kho” Recipe + Video

Thit Heo Kho- also known as Vietnamese caramelized pork with eggs, is braised in a savory and delectable coconut juice. This savory dish is typically served with a side of jasmine rice and pickled vegetables like pickled bean sprouts. The rich brown color of the pork belly is achieved from caramelizing brown sugar and then cooking the pork down in it.

My dad makes this dish a few ways but I like this method because the marinade is much simpler (just Maggi and oyster sauce)! This method also yields a gorgeously dark golden brown pork belly. As a kid I referred to Maggi seasoning as “magical sauce”, it’s similar to a soy sauce but it packs in a lot more umami flavor.

*TIPS

-Caramelizing the pork skin in the caramel sauce will render the pork belly skin a beautiful dark brown/orange color!

-Coconut soda: there’s no real substitution for this so try to find this can before making this dish

-Maggi/oyster sauce marinade will help add a nice umami and darker color to the pork

PS- If you're not a huge fan of fat content, you can cut back on the pork belly and replace more with the combination of pork neck or leg with some skin and fat removed but I would keep some for the flavor. If you like more flavor spice you can add anise and ginger as well but my dad’s recipe is delicious still without it.

INGREDIENTS

2.5-3 lbs of Pork belly

PORK RINSE

1 tsp salt

2 tbs vinegar

PARBOIL

Pot of cold water (about 8-12 cups water)

1 tbs salt

3 smashed garlic

2 shallots cut in quarters

Juice of 1 lime

MARINADE INGREDIENTS
1 cup Maggi seasoning
1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

CARAMEL

3 tbs brown sugar

4 garlic cloves smashed & loosely sliced

2 small/medium shallots & loosely sliced

1 tbsp light extra virgin olive oil

BRAISING INGREDIENTS
1 tsp black pepper to taste

1 can coco Rico (lighter coconut taste)
9-12 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 tsp fish sauce
3 tbs light soy sauce

2-3 dried red peppers
1 Knob of ginger (thinly sliced, optional)

GARNISH INGREDIENTS
Scallions
Cilantro
Thai red chili peppers


PREPARATION

1. Eggs: Boil eggs or whatever you think will fit into your pot (a nice 7 minute boiled egg is perfect so it won't over cook with the pork). Put eggs in an ice bath and peel and rinse under warm water to remove any shell pieces and set aside.

2. Rinse pork under cold water

3. Rinse/scrub pork skin in a large bowl with salt and vinegar and some water in a bowl. Then rinse under cold water.

4. Scrape pork belly with knife to remove any dirt/impurities

5. Rinse under cold water

6. Pat dry pork with paper towels

7. Cut your pork belly into about 2x2" pieces.

8. Parboil pork to get a cleaner looking stew by bringing a large pot of water on the stove to a boil. Add garlic, shallot onions, and lime juice and the pork to the boiling water and parboil for about 2-3 minutes (at this point you should see a bunch of gritty bubbles to the top, the meat should be a little gray). Dump/and discard the boiled water & onions/garlic.

9. Remove from heat. Drain & rinse pork belly.

10. Marinade pork with Maggi, black pepper and oyster sauce for 30-60 min (overnight in fridge is best).

11. In a large saucepan, heat brown sugar in dry pan until caramelized. Swirl and mix the mixture until sugar has melted and turned a light caramel color (This should take between 1.5-3 min but be careful not to BURN the sugar, lower heat to low or remove from heat if the caramel starts to really smoke)

(If your caramel burns or you smell a really burnt sugar smell, start over and do not use the burnt caramel) then add ginger (and ginger if you opt to use ginger).

Then add 1 tbs oil and pork and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium/high heat.

12. Add chopped shallots and ginger, cook until fragrant over medium heat, then add all pork belly pieces into pan skin side down and cook 3-4 minutes (medium/high heat) until skin has turned a dark caramel'y/orange/brown color, then flip to bottom and cook 3-4 min until bottoms are browned (be sure to swirl pork in marinade to distribute the brown sauce), then cook sides until they are brown as well.

13. After all sides are browned, fling pork pieces loose of all garlic / onions and place into a clean bowl. Then strain marinade through a strainer to keep garlic and shallots out. (You can also leave these in but it just makes for better presentation without all the little onion and garlic bits).

14. Heat a medium pot and set heat to medium, add all contents of pork & marinade and add 1 can of coco rico, and a little water if needed to cover about half of the pork and add soy sauce.

15. Peel eggs carefully under running cool water.

16. Bring to boil with lid off and then turn down stove to low/med setting for a nice simmer, add eggs (keeping lid off for about an hour and a half, stir pot every 15-20 min and remove any impurities off top, you can also remove the translucent flat layer off the top as well (just leave a little of the fat for flavor)).

17. After 1.5-2 hours the pork belly should be tender, pork belly skin should also be very soft and tender (not chewy and I like it when it basically melts in your mouth) and the eggs should turn in color. Add fish sauce and black pepper to taste. If it hasn't reached this tender point yet, keep pot on low simmer until you have a tender/soft pork belly and skin.

18. Scoop off any excess pork fat on top of the stew (its a layer of very clear water on top of the darker brown stew water below).

19. Garnish with black pepper, green onions and cilantro.