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Thit Kho Vietnamese Braised Pork

Thit Kho is a well-loved Vietnamese dish made of juicy pork belly slow cooked in coconut water for that sweet-savory-melt-in-your-mouth flavor and texture! This is a great protein option to pair with rice and vegetables for a well-rounded meal.

 

Fun fact: pork belly is called thịt ba chỉ in Vietnamese, literally translating to "three-layer meat" to emphasize the delicious layers of pork belly!

120 Minutes
7 Ingredients
Spice Level
Thit Kho Vietnamese Braised Pork
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Recipe for Thit Kho Vietnamese Braised Pork

Ingredients

For 4 servings

  • 1.5 lb pork belly
  • 1.5 liter fresh coconut water (2-3 coconuts)
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3-4 hard-boiled eggs, optional
  • 2-3 Thai chilies, optional

Step by step

step 1

Prepare pork: Bring a pot of water to boil and add the pork belly. When the water returns to a boil, remove the pork belly and let cool. Cut the pork belly into 1/2 inch slices and set aside. Discard the water.

step 2

In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it turns into a golden color. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY ladle 1/2 cup of boiling water into the caramelized sugar. Be careful not to splash the water as the sugar is very hot! Turn up the heat and stir constantly until sugar is fully dissolved in water. Turn off heat, add fish sauce, and stir well. Set aside.

step 3

In a large pot, add the pork belly, caramelized sugar mixture, garlic, and Thai chilis. Pour in fresh coconut water and stir gently to mix.

step 4

Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Braise over low heat for about two hours or until pork belly is tender.

step 5

Serve over rice and enjoy!