Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly Braised With Eggs / Pickled Bean Sprouts- “Thit Heo Kho” Recipe

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.

*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 like more flavor spice you can add anise and ginger as well but my dad’s recipe is delicious still without it.

For pickled bean sprouts recipe, click below button:

For fermented mustard greens recipe, click below button:

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 oil (light EVOO or Tea seed oil)

BRAISING INGREDIENTS
1 tsp black pepper to taste

1 can coco Rico
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 (optional): Boil 6-9 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 pork in a large bowl with 1 tsp salt, 2-3 tbs vinegar

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 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, onions, and juice of one lime and the pork to the boiling water and parboil for about 2-3 minutes (remove any impurities from the top by scooping off with a spoon).

9. Remove from heat. Drain & rinse pork belly and reserve the boiled pork water.

10. Marinade pork with Maggi and oyster sauce for 30-60 min (marinating 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 dark 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).

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.

14. Heat a medium pot and set heat to medium, add all contents of pork & marinade and add 1 can of coco rico, ginger slices, and add a littler water to cover pork about half way in pot (do not cover completely with water) and add remaining braising ingredients.

15. Bring to boil with lid off and then turn down stove to low/med setting for a nice simmer (keeping lid on for about an hour and a half, stir pot every 15-20 min and remove any scum to top).

16. After 1 hour, peel and then add eggs add to pork pot, let simmer for another 1/2 hour to hour and serve hot.

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. If it hasn't reached this tender point yet, keep pot on low simmer until you have a tender/soft pork belly and skin and cook with lid off until sauce has thickened up some.

18. Scoop off a majority of the 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.