Thit Kho

Thit kho is a simple dish made with pork belly and boiled eggs that is cooked in a sweet and salty caramel sauce.

Course Rice Dish

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword thit kho

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings 6

Calories 1189kcal

Author Scruff

1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce (add more at the end)
1.5 tsp salt
cracked pepper, to your taste
20 gm sweet preserved radish available at Asian groceries (optional but highly recommended)
6 garlic cloves, smashed
600 ml coconut water
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 brown onion, cut into wedges

Cut the pork into 3 - 4 cm chunks.
Bring a large pot water on high heat to the boil. Once the water starts boiling add the pork and boil for 6 - 8 minutes.
Remove the pork and discard the water. Rinse off any scum on the pork under a running tap.

In a large cold pot add the sugar and oil. Set the heat to medium high. Have the pork ready on the side.
Once the sugar turns an amber colour, remove from heat and tilt the pot to swirl the caramel. Wait for a bit and it should turn a dark golden colour. If not, return to the stovetop for a bit longer. This whole step should take about 7 minutes.
As soon as the caramel is done, add the pork and stir until covered in caramel.

Add the sugar, fish sauce, salt, pepper, preserved radish and garlic. Stir and cook for a 2 minutes.
Add the coconut water and chicken bouillon powder. Stir and cook for 45 minutes partially-covered over low heat.
In a separate pot, add the eggs and enough cold water to completely cover the eggs. Turn the heat up to high.
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat (but leave the pot in place) and let the eggs sit in the water for 11 minutes. Take off the stovetop and peel them under cold running water. Set aside until needed.
After 45 minutes, check the pork for texture and taste. If the pork is still tough then let it cook further. Adjust taste as needed.
Add the peeled boiled eggs and the onion wedges. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve with jasmine rice.