In Good FlavorCaramelized Pork and Eggs are the epitome of Vietnamese comfort food. The pork is braised until tender in a deliciously sweet and salty caramel sauce. Serve it with white rice for the ultimate comfort meal.
This is an updated version of a post originally published in January 2014.
This Vietnamese dish is at the top of my list of favorite comfort foods. While it is traditionally made with pork belly, I prefer using boneless spare ribs or boneless butt. The meat is braised until it becomes fork-tender and has a delightful balance of sweet and salty flavors, which is one of my favorite combinations.
This pork dish has variations—some are heavy on black pepper or salt; some have no eggs, while others have a small amount of thick caramel sauce. Regardless, the sweet, salty, umami flavor always shines. I love to make mine with plenty of sauce because I like the rice to be saturated with it. Simply amazing!!
The magic is all in the caramel sauce, which is made with sugar and water. It provides a rich color and a flavorful foundation. Making it is easy but does require a bit of babysitting.
How to make caramel sauce:
Place 2/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Do not stir while it cooks. Allow to bubble and brown. Some benchmarks to look for (this is a guideline, not an exact time frame):
- Clear liquid with lots of bubbles at the 4-minute mark.
- A light golden color develops at the 9-minute mark.
- An amber color at the 10-minute mark with some smoking.
- By the 11-minute mark, it will be deep amber and lots of smoke.
It is important not to let the sauce get too dark, as it will have a slightly bitter aftertaste. Once the deep amber stage is achieved, move the pan to the sink immediately and add the remaining water. It will bubble and steam vigorously. Be careful not to stand right over the pan, as splashing will occur. The sauce is ready to use. We are ready to go on with cooking the pork.
Recipe highlights:
- Add oil to a heavy bottom large pot on medium heat.
- Add garlic, ginger, and shallot, stirring frequently for one minute.
- Add pork, salt and pepper.
- Increase heat to high. Cook pork, stirring frequently, until lightly seared.
- Stir in caramel sauce and fish sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low once the liquid boils.
- Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring a couple of times during this period.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs and remove the shell.
- Add cooked eggs to the pork after the 40-minute simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn the eggs over to submerge the white tops into the sauce.
- Add scallion. Continue to simmer for 15 additional minutes.
- Season with additional black pepper, optional. Serve with white rice.
- See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
This is a budget-friendly family meal that reminds me of my childhood. It is warm, comforting, and always makes me happy. Add sautéed spinach or steamed green beans with lots of cracked salt and black pepper to complete the meal. This is a must-try!
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)
- This 5-quart braiser is cast iron with a non-stick surface. It’s easy to clean, rust-free, and has great ratings.
- Fish sauce—I use this brand whenever possible.
- A wooden spatula is my go-to utensil for sautéing meat.
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Caramelized Pork and Eggs
Description
Caramelized Pork and Eggs are the epitome of Vietnamese comfort food. The pork is braised until tender in a deliciously sweet and salty caramel sauce. Serve it with white rice for the ultimate comfort meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add sugar to a small, heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Evenly drizzle 3 tablespoons of water over sugar. Do not stir.
- Set the remaining water aside next to the sink, ready to use.
- Cook the sugar mixture until it turns dark amber. You may swirl the pan slightly but do not stir.
- Benchmarks to look for (this is an approximate, not an exact timeline): light bubbling around edges at the 2-minute mark; clear liquid with lots of bubbles at the 4-minute mark; light golden color develops at the 9-minute mark; an amber color at the 10-minute mark with some smoking; by the 11-minute mark, it will be deep amber and lots of smoke.
- Do not cook sauce beyond this point, as it will become bitter.
- Immediately place the pan in the kitchen sink and add the reserved water, using caution as splashing may occur. Set aside.
- Add oil to preheat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium heat.
- Add garlic, ginger, and shallot, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
- Add pork. Increase the heat to high and add salt and pepper.
- Cook the pork, stirring frequently, until lightly seared.
- Add the caramel sauce and fish sauce. Stir until the pork is coated. Allow to come to a light boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring a couple of times during this period.
- Boil eggs: add water to cover eggs in a saucepan.
- Cook on medium-high heat. When the water boils, turn off the heat and cover.
- Allow to sit on the stovetop for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain the water and peel the eggs. Set aside.
- After the 40-minute simmer, nest the eggs in the caramel sauce.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add scallion. Turn the eggs over, submerging the upper side into caramel sauce.
- Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Skim the fat layer off the top using a spoon.
- Sprinkle with additional black pepper, optional.
- Serve with plain white rice.
- Makes 6 servings.
To make the caramel sauce:
To make pork:
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Thank you for this recipe. I just cooked this dish. It was really easy to prepare, quite inexpensive, and really delicious. It was an absolute hit! Thank you.
–Pam
Boston, MA
I'm so glad you like it!
Hi Thao. Comfort food indeed, just like Mom used to make, though she would call it "thit kho". Such a simple and versatile recipe. I have two large chunks of beef "hind shank" that I want to try with this technique. After initial caramelizing with the sugar, I might throw everything into a crockpot to cook the shanks thoroughly. A few peppercorns will give the pot an extra pepper kick. And you're right–gotta add some boiled eggs to steep in the yummy sauce, especially if the egg white is poked several times with the tines of a fork prior to taking a quick bath in the sauce.
Hey Sam! Good to see you here! There is nothing like the flavor of your childhood. That hind shank idea sounds awesome! Let me know how it works out 'cause I might want to try it! 🙂
Looks delicious, Thao!! And is it just me, or did you change your blog look!? Maybe just the first page…? I might be crazy. Anyway these look amazing!
Thank you Katherine! This dish a a family favorite. And thank you for noticing!! I made changes to the home page not too long ago. So glad you like it!!
How would you do this with pork belly? I raise my own hogs and would love to hear how this is done!
You could actually use this same recipe with pork belly. It’s best to use a cut that has a good amount of meat.