I am a bottomless pit when it comes to this dish! Thit kho trung or Vietnamese braised pork belly and eggs was a staple in my Vietnamese household growing up. It's traditionally made during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and is often served with jasmine rice and pickled mustard greens!
There are few dishes I can out eat people in but this is definitely one of them. Thit kho trung is sweet, savory, and so addicting. The coconut water adds a tropical sweetness to the caramelized sugar and umami packed fish sauce that makes you want to drown your rice in it and slurp it all up!
What is Thit Kho Trung?
Thịt kho trứng is a classic Vietnamese dish consisting of tender pork belly and hard boiled eggs braised in a savory-sweet caramel broth made with coconut water (or coconut soda) and fish sauce. This dish starts off with a Vietnamese staple, nuoc mau, which is the caramel that gives a lot of Vietnamese recipes its signature glossy golden brown color! It's then combined with pork belly, hard boiled eggs, aromatics, coconut water, and fish sauce. Thit kho trung is eaten year round in my family, but it is most commonly eaten around Tết (Vietnamese New Year) with pickled mustard greens.
Every Vietnamese household has their own way of making thit kho trung, so you'll see variations with either regular eggs or quail eggs, bird's eye chilies, shallots, onions and or various cuts of pork like pork shoulder. This recipe is the version I had growing up!
Why you'll love this Thit Kho Trung Recipe (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs)
- Makes for a great meal prep - Make a big batch and eat it with rice throughout the week!
- Customizable - Swap the pork belly for a leaner cut like pork shoulder or even chicken, or do 50/50 pork belly and pork shoulder for balance!
- Budget friendly - Pork belly is one of the most affordable cuts!
- The ultimate comfort food - This over a bowl of hot jasmine rice speaks to my soul: from the sweet and savory flavors to the juicy pork belly!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Pork belly: Look for pork belly that is not too fatty. I occasionally like to add in pork shoulder for a leaner option.
- Eggs: Hard boiled eggs soak up all that delicious sweet and savory coconut braising liquid.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar works best for caramelizing here but feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Water: Used to dilute the caramel.
- Coconut water: Coconut soda is traditionally used, but I like using pure coconut water for a natural and tropical sweetness, without needing to use more refined sugar on top of our caramelized sugar.
- Fish sauce: The key ingredient in this dish that adds the umami and saltiness we're looking for. I use Red Boat Fish Sauce because it's the saltiest and has no sugar, which means I'm more easily able to control the sugar level.
- Garlic: Adds a garlicky aroma to the braising liquid!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs
- Step 1: Parboil the pork belly: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pork belly in. Cook the pork belly for 5-10 minutes or until the pork belly has stopped releasing impurities. Drain and rinse the pork under cold water.
- Step 2: Pat the pork belly dry and cut it into 1 inch pieces. Set it aside while we make the caramel.
- Step 3: Make the caramel: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over low heat, add the granulated sugar. Give the pot a shake to evenly distribute the sugar. Allow the sugar to melt and caramelize without stirring it. It is critical to not stir the sugar while it is melting. Stirring it will disturb the crystallization process and cause it to seize and become clumpy. However, you can tilt the pot to try to spread the caramelized sugar as it melts. The caramel will turn from a light amber to a deep golden brown.
- Step 4: Once the caramel reaches a deep golden brown, cautiously add water and quickly give it a stir with a wooden spatula to break up any large chunks of caramel. Be careful as there may be splattering. Continue stirring until most of the caramel dissolves. It's ok if not all of dissolves.
- Step 5: Add the pork belly pieces and sear on each side in the caramel.
- Step 6: Toss the pork belly with a wooden spatula. Scrape any remaining caramel bits until fully dissolved. Add in the garlic and cook it for 1-2 minutes until softened.
- Step 7: Add in coconut water and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and skim off any remaining impurities that come to the surface (it's ok if some rogue garlic pieces are skimmed off). Reduce to a simmer and cover for 45 minutes to an hour or until the pork is tender.
- Step 8: Add in hard boiled eggs and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Toss occasionally to ensure the eggs absorb the liquid evenly on all sides. Remove from heat and enjoy over rice!
Top tip
There are two ways to caramelize sugar for this recipe. The first way is with sugar and oil and the second way is with sugar and water. Either way works but I prefer the method with sugar and water since it will make the end result less oily. The sugar and water method is the method I included in the recipe card. However, I've found the sugar and oil method to be easier. I've broken down both ways below:
- Sugar and oil method: Add 3 tablespoons of oil and granulated sugar to a pot. Stir the sugar to coat it in the oil. Add more oil as needed. Continue stirring until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
- Sugar and water method: To a large pot, add granulated sugar. Give the pot a shake to evenly distribute the sugar. Allow the sugar to melt and caramelize without stirring it. It is critical to not stir the sugar while it is melting. Stirring it will disturb the crystallization process and cause it to seize and become clumpy. However, you can tilt the pot to try to spread the caramelized sugar as it melts. The caramel will turn from a light amber to a deep golden brown.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add some heat - Add 1-2 whole Thai or bird's eye chilies in for a little kick!
- More aromatics - Add sliced shallots or yellow onion for a delicate sharpness.
- Protein swap - Use pork shoulder, chicken or even salmon for a leaner protein!
- Egg swap - Use canned or freshly hard boiled quail eggs instead of regular eggs.
Storage and Reheating
Store the braised pork belly and eggs in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
To reheat, add the pork belly and eggs to a pot over medium heat until the pork belly and the center of the eggs are warm.
FAQ
The braising liquid is meant to be sweet and savory but if it is too sweet, adding water or fish sauce will help to balance it out. The sweetness will depend on the coconut water that is added. Be sure to use coconut water that has no added sugar.
The pork is ready when it is fork-tender and the fat has become translucent and jiggly. It should hold its shape but easily pull apart when pressed with a fork.
If there is foam floating at the top, then the pork was not parboiled for long enough. Use a fine mesh skimmer to remove and discard it from the liquid. Use this to also skim off any excess fat or oil floating at the top.
Other recipes to try:
- Easy lemongrass chicken (in the air fryer)
- Lemongrass beef noodle bowl (just like how mom makes it!)
- Crispy gluten-free fish sauce chicken thighs
- Vietnamese lemongrass inspired beef stew
Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb pork belly
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 ½ cups coconut water
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 8-10 hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Parboil the pork belly: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pork belly in. Cook the pork belly for 5-10 minutes or until the pork belly has stopped releasing impurities. Drain and rinse the pork under cold water.
- Pat the pork belly dry and cut it into 1 inch pieces. Set it aside while we make the caramel.
- Caramelize the sugar: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over low heat, add the granulated sugar. Give the pot a shake to evenly distribute the sugar. Allow the sugar to melt and caramelize without stirring it. It is critical to not stir the sugar while it is melting. Stirring it will disturb the crystallization process and cause it to seize and become clumpy. However, you can tilt the pot to try to spread the caramelized sugar as it melts. The caramel will turn from a light amber to a deep golden brown.
- Once the caramel reaches a deep golden brown, cautiously add water and quickly give it a stir with a wooden spatula to break up any large chunks of caramel. Be careful as there may be splattering. Continue stirring until most of the caramel dissolves. It's ok if not all of dissolves.
- Add the pork belly pieces and sear on each side in the caramel.
- Toss the pork belly with a wooden spatula. Scrape any remaining caramel bits until fully dissolved. Add in the garlic and cook it for 1-2 minutes until softened.
- Add in coconut water and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and skim off any remaining impurities that come to the surface (it's ok if some rogue garlic pieces are skimmed off). Reduce to a simmer and cover for 45 minutes to an hour or until the pork is tender.
- Add in hard boiled eggs and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Toss occasionally to ensure the eggs absorb the liquid evenly on all sides. Remove from heat and enjoy over rice!
Notes
- Don't skip the blanching step! Blanching the pork removes blood and impurities, resulting in a cleaner, less murky braising liquid.
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There are two ways to make caramelized sugar. The first way is with sugar and oil and the second way is with sugar and water. Either way works but I prefer the method with sugar and water since it will make the end result less oily. The sugar and water method is the method I included in this recipe card. However, I've found the sugar and oil method to be easier. I've broken down the sugar and oil method below:
- Sugar and oil method: Add 3 tablespoons of oil and granulated sugar to a pot. Stir the sugar to coat it in the oil. Add more oil as needed. Continue stirring until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
- Toss the eggs occasionally. Once the eggs are added to the braising liquid, give the eggs a gentle toss every few minutes. This will ensure they absorb the sauce throughout and color evenly on all sides.
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