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Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly Recipe

Thịt Kho Tàu Recipe (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly)

Vietnamese caramelized pork belly is one of the most adored dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. Follow this simple recipe to recreate the classic comfort food at home.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: Thịt Kho Tàu, Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Dietary Preference: None
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 778kcal

Equipment

  • Mortar and pestle
  • Pot
  • Ladle
  • Medium-sized wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 2.2 pounds of pork belly
  • 7 large duck or chicken eggs, boiled and peeled
  • 13.5 fluid ounces of coconut water
  • 11.8 fluid ounces of water
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 tablespoon shallots
  • 1 chili pepper
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 5 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons caramel coloring, store-bought or homemade

For the homemade caramel coloring

  • 4 tablespoons of sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • Peel the garlic and shallots, then crush them in the mortar.
    Peel The Garlic And Shallots
  • Mix the pork belly with garlic, shallots, sugar, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, and caramel food coloring. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
    A detailed guide for making the caramel food coloring:
    Heat a saucepan on the stovetop over high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and cook until the sugar turns dark brown. Add a small amount of water and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture has thickened, turn off the heat.
    Mix Well And Marinate The Meat
  • Put the marinated pork into a pot, and boil it gently. Add fish sauce, caramel coloring, and enough coconut water to cover the meat. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Add chili pepper (optional). Once reduced, add water.
    Cook Marinated Pork
  • Reduce heat to low, simmer for 45 minutes. Add eggs, simmer 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
    Caramelized Pork Belly

Video

Notes

  • The estimated cooking time is for making 8 servings.
  • If you plan to cook in large quantities and store the dish for many days, don't crush the onions and garlic and only use a tiny amount.
  • While making the caramel food coloring, be careful not to heat the sugar for too long.
  • Ideally, you should marinate the pork belly in the fridge overnight.
  • Too much coconut water can cause the dish to be too sweet.
  • You shouldn't add both coconut water and water at once.
  • Always add the boiled eggs towards the end of cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 778kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 253mg | Sodium: 1411mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg