Braised Pork Belly and Eggs / Thịt Kho Trứng

Ask any Vietnamese millennial what their favorite Vietnamese dish growing up was, and I promise you, more often than not, the answer is Thịt Kho Trứng.
When I think about Vietnamese home cooking, this is the dish that comes to mind.

What is Thịt Kho Trứng?

“Thit Kho Trung” is a traditional Vietnamese dish known as “Caramelized Pork with Eggs”. It’s a flavorful and comforting dish made by simmering pork belly or pork shoulder in a caramelized sauce seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and coconut soda. Hard-boiled eggs are added to the simmering sauce, allowing them to soak up the rich flavors and become infused with the savory sweetness of the dish. Thit Kho Trung is typically served with steamed rice and pickled vegetables, making it a popular choice for family meals.

I like big chunks of pork belly, where the rendered fat just melts in your mouth. Something like a pork shoulder or leaner would be fine for the more health-conscious folks.

Everyone and their mamas has their own recipe and spin to it, but this one is mine. Check out my other braised pork recipes too!
Hope you enjoy!

Braised Pork Belly and Eggs / Thịt Kho Trứng

4.5 from 20 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork belly

• 8 eggs

• Marinade:

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 2 thai chili

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Caramel (Nước Màu):

• 3 tbsp sugar

• Sauce:

• 1 can Coco Rico

• ½ cup water

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Cut pork belly into 1-2 inch cubes, and parboil in water to remove porky odor
• Marinate pork belly for at least half an hour with minced garlic, thai chili, fish sauce, salt and pepper
• In a clean pot we’ll make our nước màu (caramel), by cooking sugar on medium low until it turns a dark amber color. I’ve tested making the nước màu with water and oil, but found that the most foolproof way to make it, is just with sugar by itself
• Add the pork belly into the pot and let it brown for a couple of minutes, then we’ll season it with fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, thai chilis, salt and pepper to taste. Then add a whole can of coco rico, and just enough water to cover the pork. Let that simmer for 1-1.5 hours
• In a separate pot, hard boil eggs and peel. Add eggs to the pot and let that simmer for another half an hour, or until pork is tender
• Serve with rice, garnish with green onions, and pair with cucumbers, pickled mustard green or soup

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