Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) 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. It’s a meal I grew up enjoying regularly in Vietnam and one that holds a special place during Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration. It’s the ultimate nostalgic comfort food—and the dish I crave most.

While this dish is traditionally made with pork belly, I prefer using boneless spare ribs or boneless pork butt. The meat is slowly braised until it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, soaking up the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors—one of my favorite flavor combinations.

Like many traditional dishes, this Vietnamese pork dish has many variations. Some versions are heavier on black pepper or salt, some are made without eggs, while others use just a small amount of thick caramel sauce. No matter the variation, the sweet, salty, and umami flavors always shine. I love making mine with plenty of sauce because there’s nothing better than rice completely saturated with that rich, flavorful goodness. Simply amazing!

The magic of this dish comes from the caramel sauce, made with just sugar and water. It gives the pork its beautiful deep color and creates the flavorful foundation that makes this dish so special. It’s easy to make, but the caramel does require a little patience and attention as it cooks.

How to make caramel sauce:

Place 2/3 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Do not stir while it cooks. Allow to bubble and brown. It takes between 7 and 11 minutes to caramelize, but that depends on your heat setting and your stove. More importantly than the time, you need to look for some benchmarks. Some benchmarks to look for (this is a guideline, not an exact time frame):

• Clear liquid with lots of bubbles roughly at the 4-minute mark. (Image 1 below.)
• A light golden color develops shortly after. (Image 2 below.)
• The amber color intensifies, becoming rich amber. There are lots of tiny bubbles, and the steam increases and rises. You can take it off the heat at this point (Image 3 below).
• The caramel sauce will quickly turn dark and start to smoke. You don’t want to cook past this point, or it will be bitter. (Image 4 below.)

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 ahead and cook the pork.

Recipe highlights:

• Add oil to a heavy bottom large pot over 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 shells.
• Add cooked eggs to the pork after the 40-minute simmer.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Turn the eggs over to submerge the white tops in 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 along with a generous sprinkle 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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Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs

Author: In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Stovetop Cooked Cuisine:Vietnamese Courses:Main

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time:1 hour 20 minutesTotal time:1 hour 35 minutesServings:6 servings

Description

Vietnamese 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

• 1/2 level cup + 1 level tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon  minced ginger
• 1 average-sized shallot
• 4 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 6 eggs (more is fine)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion

Instructions

To make the caramel sauce:

1. Add sugar to a small, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat. Evenly drizzle 3 tablespoons of water over the sugar. Do not stir. 
2. Set the remaining water aside next to the sink, ready to use. 
3. Cook the sugar mixture until it turns dark amber. You may swirl the pan slightly, but do not stir. This process will take between 7-11 minutes, depending on your heat setting and your stove. Instead, look for the benchmark described in the next step.
4. Benchmarks to look for (this is an approximation, not an exact timeline). A clear liquid with lots of bubbles and a light golden color forms around the 4-minute mark. Within a few minutes, the bubbling continues, and the color turns into a rich amber. The steam thickens and rises. Take the pan off the heat at this point. At this point, it will burn quickly. You don’t want to take it to the point where the sauce smokes and turns dark brown. It will be bitter.
5. Immediately place the pan in the kitchen sink and add the reserved water, using caution as splashing may occur. Set aside.

To make pork:

6. Add oil to a preheated large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over 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. 
7. 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. 
8. While the pork simmers, boil the eggs. Add enough water to cover the eggs in a saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat. When the water boils, turn off the heat and cover. Allow it to sit on the stovetop for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the water and peel the eggs. Set aside.
9. After the 40-minute simmer, nestle the eggs in the caramel sauce. Add scallions. Turn the eggs over, submerging the upper side in caramel sauce. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until the meat is tender. 
10. Skim the fat layer off the top using a spoon. Sprinkle with additional black pepper, optional.
11. Serve with plain white rice. 
12. Makes 6 servings.

Keywords:Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs, Thit Kho Trung, Vietnamese braised pork, pork braised in caramel sauce, Vietnamese New Year pork recipe, Vietnamese pork and egg recipe

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