Best Thịt Kho Trứng Recipes

THIT HEO KHO TRUNG (PORK AND EGGS IN CARAMEL SAUCE)

Thit Heo Kho Trung (Pork and Eggs in Caramel Sauce) image

Tet is for savoring abundance, which explains why this rich, savory braise of pork and eggs in bittersweet caramel sauce is a must-have on many southern Vietnamese Lunar New Year menus. It's an extravagant treat. Pork leg with the skin attached (fresh ham) is the cut of meat traditionally used, but pork shoulder or belly also offers the delicious balance of fat and lean meat. The eggs lend an interesting contrast of chewy white and buttery yolk, while the sauce featuring coconut water is softly sweet. Searing the meat and including peppercorns are modern touches that induce greater complexity. The cook time can be cut nearly in half by making the braise in a pressure cooker. Crunchy pickled bean sprout salad is the traditional accompaniment, along with plenty of rice. Stir-fried greens can be served alongside too.

Provided by Andrea Nguyen

Categories dinner, meat, main course

Time 2h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more as needed
1/8 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, belly or leg (see Tip)
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 cups unsweetened coconut water, strained if pulpy
4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 fresh Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (optional)

Steps:

Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water until the sugar nearly dissolves, 60 to 90 seconds. Cook without stirring until the mixture turns champagne yellow, about 3 minutes, then continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, frequently picking up the pan and swirling it to control the caramelization. When the mixture is a dark tea color (expect faint smoking), turn off the heat and keep the pan on the burner. Let the caramelization continue until the mixture is burgundy in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide the pan to a cool burner and add 3 tablespoons water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Warm over medium heat to loosen, if needed.
Cut the pork into chunks about 1-inch thick and 2 to 3 inches long, making sure each piece has both lean meat and fat. Warm the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in 2 or 3 batches, cook the pork on all sides until lightly browned, about 1 minute per batch, holding the seared meat on a plate. When done, return all the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, then add the caramel sauce, fish sauce, onion, garlic, peppercorns and coconut water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim the scum, then adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until a knife tip inserted 1/4 inch into the pork meets little resistance, about 1 1/4 hours.
Use tongs to retrieve the pork and hold in a bowl, loosely covered to prevent drying. If peppercorns cling to the pork, leave them for zing, or knock them off and discard. To quickly filter and remove fat from the cooking liquid, set a mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl, line with a double layer of paper towels and pour the liquid through. After most of the liquid passes through and a layer of fat remains above the solids, set the strainer aside. (Save the fat for cooking if you like.) You should have about 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid.
Return the liquid to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, then add the pork and eggs. Cook, gently stirring now and then, to heat through and coat with the dark sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 5 minutes, uncovered, to concentrate flavors. Taste and add up to 1 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, or both, as needed for a pleasant savory-sweet finish. Transfer to a shallow bowl for serving. Invite diners to halve the eggs themselves. If you'd like spicy heat, gently smash the chiles in individual dishes for dipping sauce with some sauce from the pot, and use it to dip the pork and egg or to drizzle into the bowls.

THịT KHO TRứNG

Thịt Kho Trứng image

While a kho is often a weeknight dish that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, for the Tết season, you don't want any old braise. You want a kho that's worthy of the Lunar New Year table. That means springing for top-quality skin-on, center-cut pork belly, palm sugar and fresh young coconut. Skin-on pork contains plenty of collagen, which will break down during the gentle cooking process to add lusciousness to the caramelized savory gravy, making it perfect for ladling over copious amounts of fluffy new-crop white jasmine rice.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 3h20m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

Kosher salt
3 pounds center-cut pork belly, preferably skin on, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 8 cloves)
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola, vegetable or avocado oil
1/2 small red onion, minced (about 4 ounces), plus 1 large red onion, halved
1/3 cup palm sugar, roughly diced (about 2 ounces; see Cook's Note)
1/3 cup premium fish sauce, such as Red Boat
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 Thai chiles, halved
Water from 3 to 4 young coconuts (about 4 1/2 cups; see Cook's Note)
6 Boiled Eggs, recipe follows

Steps:

Fill a 7-quart heavy-bottomed braising pot (like a Dutch oven) with 4 quarts of water. Add 3 tablespoons salt and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath.
Add the pork to the pot and bring the water back up to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming the foam that floats to the surface.
Transfer the pork to the ice bath and let it soak until completely chilled, about 20 minutes. Remove the pork and wipe away any impurities using a paper towel. Drain the pork in a colander and set aside.
Clean the pot used for the pork and return it to the stove. Add the garlic, oil and minced red onion to the cold pot, turn the heat to medium high and cook until aromatic, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the palm sugar and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking until the sugar turns a chestnut amber, another 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the fish sauce and raise the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a bubble and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flavor of the fish sauce slightly. Add the blanched pork, black pepper and chiles and toss to coat every piece of pork in the sauce.
Add the coconut water, halved red onion and 2 cups of water. Bring the pot back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. To achieve a braise with tender pork that doesn't fall apart, cook the pork at a gentle simmer, where the surface of the braising liquid is trembling and only a few air bubbles break through. Simmer, uncovered, until the pork is tender and the braising liquid reduces and forms a stock that slightly clings to your spoon, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Gently transfer the pork to a bowl. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to create a flawless, silky-smooth stock. Discard the solids.
Wash the pot and return it to the stove. Return the pork and braising liquid to the pot. Bring the braise to a boil, then turn off the heat. Nestle the Boiled Eggs in the braising liquid. Cover the pot and steep the eggs in the braising liquid off heat for 20 minutes.