The ultimate Vietnamese comfort food that will remind you of the good old days. Thit kho is childhood memories on a plate. Thit Kho's sweet salty taste will transport you back to the good ol' days.
More comfort foods to try are brisket pho, Vietnamese curry, and beef drunken noodles.
Thịt kho is one of the dishes that hit the spot every time. Correct me if I am wrong, but it's so comforting. After a long day this will do it. Every family makes it differently but the result is caramelized pork that is sweet and salty.
This dish is on a monthly rotation at my house. There are numerous ways to make it but the way I make it contains 2 key ingredients: fish sauce and sugar. My recipe is super simple and doesn't require perfecting the caramelization process either. Because this version of thit kho is that simple the meat doesn't have the brown caramel color. If you want a darker color, add dark soy sauce! I use brown sugar because it's sweeter than white sugar and adds to the caramelization. Some of the different ways to make thit kho are making it without eggs, with bamboo shots, making it less watery, making it peppery, or spicy! All are eaten up in my house.
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❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is perfect for adults and children.
- This recipe doesn't require you to perfect the caramelization process and makes cooking that much simpler!
🥄Equipment and tools
- All you'll need for this recipe is a big enough pot. You can optionally use a ceramic pot but any pot will do!
🛒Recipe Ingredients
Ever wonder what goes into the plate of thit kho? Let's talk about it!
- Pork ribs - there would be no thịt kho without the thịt (pork). There are different cuts you can choose from, such as pork belly or pork shoulder. This is up to your preference. If you are using pork belly and pork shoulder cut it into edible slices to your preference. Some people like big chunks of meat while others like a 2-inch cut. I am using pork ribs that have been sliced and I just cut them into smaller pieces.
- Hard-boiled eggs - Adding eggs is optional. It is entirely up to you. If you do add eggs make sure they are hard-boiled. Chicken eggs are readily available but you can also use duck eggs or quail eggs.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder is used to season the thit kho.
- Garlic - Chopped garlic will season the meat even more when it is cooked.
- Shallots - Adding shallots season and flavor the meat.
- Water - Water is used during the caramelization process and will cook the meat and coat the eggs with the delicious sauce.
- Black pepper - Black pepper is optional but is great to provide flavor to the thit kho. If you are cooking for kids or someone who can't tolerate pepper you can leave it out.
- Fish sauce - This is a key ingredient to flavor the thit kho.
- Brown sugar - Sugar is another key ingredient. You can use white sugar or brown sugar. Brown sugar provides an extra note of sweetness that I like when I make thit kho.
- Canola oil - Use a neutral oil to coat the pan before cooking.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
↔Substitutions & Variations
- Replace water with coco rico, coca cola, for a sweeten flavor.
- Add coconut water for a coconut flavor.
- For more umami add a dash of chicken broth or a dash of MSG when seasoning the pork.
- Add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce for a deeper brown color.
👩🏫 How to Make Thit Kho Trung
Step 1: Cut your choice of pork into edible slices, add the pieces of meat to a pot, and add enough water to cover the meat. Parboil the meat until it is a greyish color and looks like it's beginning to cook. At this time the pot will have scum coming on top. Drain the pot and rinse the pork. Set the pork aside.
Step 2: To a bowl add the pork and seasoning. Mix it and let it marinade for 30 minutes, best if left overnight.
Step 3: Time to make the caramel sauce. Turn the pot to medium-high so the pot can get hot. Add canola oil or your choice of oil and add brown sugar. Stir the sugar into the oil.
Step 4: Add water slowly. As the pot starts to heat the sugar will dissolve. Give it a few minutes and as it starts to dissolve it will thicken. Turn down the heat when it starts to get a golden brown color.
Step 5: Quickly add garlic and shallots and mix in until aromatic.
Step 6 Then add the pork and mix well to cover the meat in the caramel sauce and add in more fish sauce.
Step 7: Add water to almost cover all the meat.
Step 8: Add in the eggs and submerge them in the water. Cover the pot with a lid and set the stove on medium-low.
Step 9: In about 30 minutes or when the meat is tender, turn the stove off and keep the top on.
Step 10: When you're ready to eat plate it and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Watch the pot while you are carmelizing the sugar and water so you don't overcook it.
- Boil the hard eggs beforehand. I use a Dash egg cooker to cook my eggs!
- Serve with dua chua (Vietnamese pickled mustard greens). The tanginess cuts through the richness of the pork.
🙋♀️Recipes FAQ
Thit kho translated means braised meat. But in Vietnamese culture, it refers to pork braised in a sweet and salty sauce.
You can substitute in Sprite or Coke cola, or add more sugar and water.
Pork belly is a popular choice for tit kho due to its rich fat content. You can also use pork shoulder or butt which has more meat and less fat compared to pork belly. Pork spare ribs are for people who love meat on the bone.
❄️Storage and reheating instructions
- Refrigerator: seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheating instructions: reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Did you try this guide?
Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @teerangathome on Instagram!
📖Recipe
Easy Thit Kho Trung Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs
Equipment
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork ribs (cut into 2 inch squares)
- 12 eggs hard boiled
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cloves minced
- 1 whole shallot small (minced)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Cut your choice of meat into edible slices (2 inches). Add pieces of meat to a pot and add enough water to cover the meat. Set the stove on high. Par boil the pork until the scum comes to the top and the meat starts to turn grey.
- Drain the pork and rinse off the scum from the pork meat. Add the pork to a bowl and add fish sauce, garlic powder, brown sugar and canola oil. Let it sit for 30 minutes or best left over night to marinate.
- Turn the stove to medium-high. To a deep medium size pot add canola oil and sugar. With a wooden or heat safe spoon mix the canola oil and sugar together. When it starts to liquify add water. Dissolve the water and sugar together until it starts to caramelize. As soon as it does turn the heat down to medium.
- Add garlic and shallots stir until it is aromatic and then add the pork. Cover the pork with the carmel sauce as much as you can. Then add 2 tablepsoons of fish sauce.
- Add 2 cups of water to the pot and stir in the meat and water.
- At this point add eggs if you want. Submerge the eggs into the water. Turn the stove to medium-low. Put a cap on your pot and let it cook for 30 minutes.
- When meat is tender and water has a slow low boil, turn off the heat and et the pot cover with the lid on.
- When you are ready to eat, plate and enjoy!
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