Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Vietnamese Caramel Pork and Eggs
越南椰香焦糖豬肉蛋
Recipe overview
Vietnamese thit kho trung braises skin-on pork belly and eggs in a clear savoury-sweet caramel sauce with coconut water and fish sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 900 g skin-on pork belly (cut into 4 cm cubes)
- 6 eggs
- 5 cloves garlic (lightly crushed)
Seasoning
- 80 g sugar
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 750 ml coconut water
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp black pepper
- to taste salt
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- kitchen paper
- lidded pot
- saucepan
- small bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- wooden spoon
- kitchen tongs
- skimmer
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Inspect pork
Thaw pork fully in the refrigerator, discard any smelly or slimy meat, then pat dry.
Step 2
Cut pork
Cut 900 g pork belly into even 4 cm cubes.
Step 3
Boil eggs
Cover 6 eggs with water, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Cool and peel eggs
Cool eggs in cold water for 5 minutes, then peel and rinse away shell fragments.
Step 5
Make caramel
Cook 80 g sugar with 2 tablespoons of the water over medium heat for 5 minutes until amber; reserve the rest of the 500 ml water.
Step 6
Coat and sear pork
Add pork and carefully toss for 6 minutes so all sides coat in caramel and lightly brown.
Step 7
Add garlic and fish sauce
Add crushed garlic, 4 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 teaspoon pepper; stir for 1 minute.
Step 8
Add liquids
Slowly add 750 ml coconut water and the remaining water, dissolve the caramel and bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 9
Simmer pork
Partly cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 60 minutes, stirring and skimming every 20 minutes.
Step 10
Add eggs
Add all 6 peeled eggs, submerge in sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, turning once halfway.
Step 11
Reduce sauce
Uncover, simmer 10 minutes and skim fat until sauce is clear and lightly coats the pork.
Step 12
Season and serve
Check pork is fork-tender, add salt only if needed, then serve pork, sauce and all 6 eggs.
Common mistakes
- Burnt caramel tastes bitter.
- A hard boil toughens the pork and clouds the sauce.
Tips
Cut pork evenly for consistent tenderness.
Chilling overnight makes surface fat easy to remove.
