Thit Kho
This Thit Kho recipe features tender braised pork belly and hard boiled eggs in a flavorful caramelized coconut sugar sauce. It’s a traditional sweet-and-savory Vietnamese dish that’s easy to make at home – pure comfort food!
Authentic Thit Kho Recipe
Thit Kho (thịt kho trứng) is a flavor-packed Vietnamese caramel pork recipe that is pure comfort food. Coconut sugar is melted and caramelized, which creates the base for a rich, sweet-and-savory sauce that coats the tender braised pork belly and hard boiled eggs. Serve the finished dish over rice – you’re gonna love it!
Why I Like to Make This Vietnamese Pork Belly Recipe
I love to step outside the box of my Midwestern roots, to enjoy dishes from around the world. Different cultures and flavors add so much to my life – and I hope that my family will always remember me for that. Here’s why you’ll love this Vietnamese braised pork belly:
- Sweet AND savory. In this recipe, the sweetness of coconut sugar and coconut water plays with the saltiness of fish sauce and pork belly – SO GOOD!
- Makes a filling meal. With pork belly and hard boiled eggs, this protein-packed meal has you leaving the table happy and completely satisfied.
- Easy to make at home. The authentic flavors and techniques of this traditional Vietnamese dish are easy to replicate at home – just follow along with my recipe and photos.
- Comforting. This dish always delivers a big dose of comfort. Its rich flavor and texture are perfect when I need a dinner pick-me-up.
What is Thit Kho?
Thịt Kho is also known as caramelized braised pork. It’s a traditional Vietnamese dish that has been passed down through generations, often prepared for special occasions and family gatherings. Symbolizing family unity and prosperity, many families share Thit Kho during Lunar New Year (Tết) celebrations.
Recipe Ingredients (and Substitutions)
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Vietnamese braised pork belly recipe. For the exact ingredient amounts, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pork belly – This boneless cut of meat comes from the belly of the pig. Its high fat content adds a tremendous amount of flavor to this recipe, not to mention fabulously tender, meaty texture. If desired, use 1/3 pork belly and 2/3 pork butt instead of all pork belly. Or use all pork butt, for an even leaner option.
- Salt & pepper
- Rice vinegar – This adds a lightly tangy flavor to the pork while it braises.
- Shallots – Or you can use red onion. Smash them to break them up a bit.
- Coconut sugar – This caramelizes so beautifully. But you can substitute brown sugar or regular granulated sugar if needed.
- Coconut water – I really like to use coconut water, for the additional flavor and texture it adds to this dish. But you could substitute it with water.
- Fish sauce – This adds umami flavor to the sauce.
- Hard boiled eggs – Peel them before adding them to this recipe.
How to Make Thit Kho
Follow along with the photos below, for my method of making this Vietnamese pork dish. For detailed instructions, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.
- Boil the water, rice vinegar, and salt. In a large pan of water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the pork belly. Place the pork in the pot, then bring the water back to a boil.
- Remove the pork belly and drain. Remove the pork from the boiling water and place it in a colander to drain well. Set blanched pork aside.
- Brown the shallots. In a skillet, roast the smashed shallots until they become fragrant and browned. Flip them over and repeat on the other side. Set aside.
- Caramelize the coconut sugar. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (large enough to add in the pork later) over medium to medium-high heat, melt the coconut sugar and 2 tablespoons of water together. Bring to a boil. After a few minutes, the mixture will start to turn a golden brown color. Use a silicone spatula to stir the mixture slowly as the caramel browns further. Take care to not let it burn – do not leave the pot unattended.
- Add the pork belly to the caramelized sugar, then brown. Once the sugar mixture thickens and has a medium golden color (like maple syrup), then add the blanched pork to the caramelized sugar and fold to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then brown the pork for about 5 minutes, folding occasionally.
- Fold in the shallots. Add the roasted shallots.
- Stir in coconut water and bring to a boil. Pour the coconut water over the pork and shallots, and stir gently. Cover the pot and bring it to a low boil. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Add fish sauce, then cook until pork is tender. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low, so the mixture is at a gentle simmer, and stir in the fish sauce. Cook for 40 minutes. Then test the pork to see if it’s tender to your liking. If not, continue to cook for as long as it takes for the pork to be ultra tender – depending on the pork belly and size of pieces, this can take up to 30-45 minutes longer.
- Add eggs. About 2-3 minutes before the pork has finished cooking, nestle the (peeled) hard boiled eggs into the pot, making sure they are submerged in the liquid. Let simmer 2-3 minutes more, then taste test and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve. Turn off the heat. Serve hot, over rice.
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Whatever method you choose – either my easy peel hard boiled eggs or my air fryer hard boiled eggs – adjust the cooking time so that your eggs are not overly cooked. For this thit kho recipe, you will peel the hard boiled eggs and add them to the braising liquid to cook with the caramelized pork for 2-3 more minutes. So I recommend, when first making the hard boiled eggs, that you cook them for about 2 minutes less than you normally would.
Tips for Success
Here are some best practices to follow when making this Vietnamese pork belly recipe:
- Do not burn the sugar. When melting the coconut sugar to make the caramel sauce, watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Once the sugar begins to caramelize, it will turn color very quickly!
- Submerge the pork When you add the pork to the sauce, make sure that it’s fully submerged in the liquid. This will help it cook better and become super tender. If needed, add a bit more coconut water or water to accomplish this.
- And cook the pork until absolutely tender. For the best pork belly flavor and tender texture, cook it until it’s absolutely tender.
- Under-cook the hard boiled eggs just a bit. In case you missed this important information, back up and read the section titled “How to make perfect hard boiled eggs”.
What to Serve with Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly
Thit kho, also known as thit kho trung, is a flavorful, hearty main dish that goes well with rice and a variety of sides. I especially like to include a green veggie. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Rice. A warm bowl of white or brown rice, or cilantro lime rice, is the perfect accompaniment to thit kho.
- Noodles. You could also serve the pork and sauce over noodles instead of rice.
- Vegetables. I like to serve a side of vegetables to add some color to our table. Try my super greens recipe, some grilled asparagus, or a simple side of steamed broccoli or green beans.
- Salad. A simple salad, such as this fresh, tangy cucumber salad would be deeeeeelicious.
- Pickled things. Add a pickled contrast with my easy pickled red onions or quick pickled asparagus.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Thit kho makes for great leftovers…but I do recommend enjoying them within 3-4 days after cooking. Here’s how to take care of your leftovers:
- Fridge – Place leftover thit kho in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – Place the thit kho in a microwave-safe bowl, covered lightly, and heat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals until it’s heated through. Or heat the thit kho in a skillet on the stovetop – warm it over medium-low heat until hot throughout.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
Thit Kho
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 tablespoon
Morton kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 medium shallots or a medium red onion, smashed
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups coconut water
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
Instructions
- In a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Bring it to a boil.
- Place the meat into the boiling water. When it starts to boil again, remove the meat from the water and place it in a colander to drain well. Set blanched pork aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, roast the mashed shallots until they become fragrant and browned. Flip them over and repeat on the other side. Set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (large enough to add in the pork later) over medium to medium-high heat, melt the coconut sugar with 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil. After a few minutes, the mixture will start to turn a golden brown color. With a silicone spatula, stir the caramel mixture slowly to brown it further. Take care to not let it burn – do not leave the pot unattended.
- Once the caramel mixture thickens and has a medium golden color (like maple syrup), then add the blanched pork to the caramel mixture and fold to coat evenly.
- Sprinkle the pork with salt & pepper. Let it brown for about 5 minutes, folding occasionally, then fold in the roasted shallots.
- Pour the coconut water over the pork and shallots, and stir gently to combine. Cover the pot and bring it to a low boil. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Reduce heat to medium/medium-low, so the mixture is at a gentle simmer, and stir in the fish sauce. Cook for 40 minutes. Then test the pork to see if it’s tender to your liking. If not, continue to cook for as long as it takes for the pork to be ultra tender. Depending on the pork belly and size of pieces, this can take up to 30-45 minutes longer.
- About 2-3 minutes before the pork has finished cooking, add the (peeled) hard boiled eggs into the pot, submerging them into the liquid. Let simmer 2-3 minutes more, then taste test and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Taste the dish and adjust the seasonings to your liking before turning off the heat. Serve over cooked rice.
