Vietnamese Caramel Pork & Eggs – Thịt kho trứng. Flashbacks from Mom’s kitchen
Vietnamese caramel pork is very special to me. If I could name one of the many comfort foods in Vietnamese cuisine that brings back warm, delicious memories to all my Viet friends and family, it would be this dish: Thịt kho trứng. This classic Vietnamese comfort food is braised pork belly (or shoulder/butt) with boiled eggs. My recipe for Vietnamese caramel pork eggs might be different from yours and that’s ok. There’s no two recipes that are exactly alike because we all have different Moms, Grandmas and Aunties who inspire us to continue family recipes.
What is Vietnamese Caramel Pork & Eggs
Thit heo kho trung is one of the many classic examples of Vietnamese home-cooking at it’s best. This humble Vietnamese braised caramel pork dish speaks volumes to me about who I am and the simple dishes in life that I need to keep me satisfied, sane and happy. The rich, slightly sweet broth with tender braised pork is perfection on top of warm white rice. Add a boiled egg with Vietnamese pickled mustard greens and what you have is a classic comfort food that Vietnamese families can all relate to.
Video: How to Make Vietnamese Caramel Pork with Eggs
Mom’s Vietnamese Thịt kho trứng (Caramel Pork)
Every morning, at 6 am, Mom would be busy at the stove, starting her morning routine of cooking for her household of 6 hungry kids and my foodie father. We’d wake up to this warm pot of slow, simmering goodness and it was a wake up call that that filled the house with braised love. My always multi-tasking Mom would get the little twins ready for school with her left hand, while feeding the rest of us with her right hand.
She’s an ambidextrous, culinary super-hero. You would have to watch her genius to believe everything that I say.
With a shoe in one hand and a soup ladle in the other, Mom dished out bowls of hot rice, topped with her braised, melt in your mouth pork. We’d shovel the rice, and braised pork in our mouths, then take a bite of the caramelized boiled eggs and pickled mustard greens. It was a breakfast of champions that fueled us out the door for another day of school.
Under-Appreciated Home-cooked Meals
As children, we didn’t always treasure all the hours of home cooked goodness for three meals a day. Eating thit heo kho trung all the time as a kid became mundane and sometimes us kids just wanted our big mac and fries, ya know? Growing up with homemade chow at home, but with the tempting sights of pizza, hamburgers and fried chicken all around us was challenging. Those processed fast food delicacies always made us yearn for the exotic American foods that existed outside my mother’s kitchen.
Eventually, home cooked meals that my mom slaved over every morning became dull. We craved and became content with a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast. It was so quick, easy and that’s what all the cook kids ate. I know that sounds sacrilegious to the culinary world. But I suppose when you’re growing up as a low income, ethnic kid like myself, fast food was considered “gourmet”.
Craving Fast Food
As kids we wanted American bacon, sausage and pancakes that Ronald McDonald served at his restaurant. Even if he was just a clown, he made me happy with his big red lips, jolly face and fabulous cheeseburgers.
As we grew up, moved out and went away to experience the independence and debt that came with adulthood, the days of longing for pizza and burgers slowly disappeared. The freedom of not having parents around meant that home cooked meals by Mom became a scarcity. There’s always that trade-off. It was the thoughts of those mornings with hot rice and Mom’s braised pork belly that we yearned for when we walked back through her door.
She would snicker with her motherly pride and always know that it was because of her hot rice dishes that we couldn’t be far from home for too long.
Mom always says that no matter where we go or what we eat, nothing brings us back to the comforts of home like a meal of hot rice, a little meat/fish and some greens. Vietnamese braised pork and eggs is a perfect example of those childhood memories that I eventually fall back on. This is the power of humble, home cooking and that’s why this Vietnamese caramel pork is so special to me.
-Diane
This recipe was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2022 with a video and new photos.
How To Make Vietnamese Braised Caramel Pork & Eggs
Vietnamese Braised Caramel Pork & Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)
Ingredients
Pork Ingredients
- 2 pounds (907 g) pork shoulder and/or pork belly (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) oil
- 3 large shallots (or 1 small onion), minced (about 3-4 tablespoons)
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper (preferably fresh ground)
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) water or Coconut water (not coconut milk or coconut juice)
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
- 4 (optional) hard boiled eggs , peeled
Caramel Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (67 g) sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) water
Serve With Options
- cooked white rice
- Vietnamese pickled mustard greens
- Vietnamese pickled carrots & daikon
- chopped green onions, cilantro, fresh chilies
Instructions
Marinate the Pork:
- In bowl combine pork, oil, onion/shallots, garlic, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine, set aside.
Make the Caramel Pork:
- Make Caramel: Combine the sugar and 2 Tablespoons water to sauce pan large enough to later fit the pork. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. After several minutes of boiling, the mixture will begin to turn to a golden brown. Using silicone spatula (less sticking), stir the mixture slowly as the caramel browns. Do not leave the caramel sauce unattended!
- Once the sugar begins to caramelize, it will turn color very quickly. The caramel should have have consistency and color like light maple syrup.
- Add Pork: As soon as the mixture turns to a medium golden brown, add the marinated pork. Slowly & carefully stir the mixture to completely coat the pork with the caramel sauce. Make sure to scrape the sides of the pan to incorporate all the caramel.
- Continue browning the pork on medium/high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the 1.5 cups of water or coconut water and the fish sauce then bring to a low boil.
- Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue braising on low heat for about another 45 minutes to 1 hour, OR until pork is tender. Skim excess fat/bubbles that floats to the top. Make sure to stir occasionally while cooking. After 45 minutes, taste the pork. If it’s to your desired texture, remove from heat.
- If you're adding boiled eggs, add the boiled eggs about 2 minutes before you finish cooking the pork. Don't cook the eggs too long in the sauce or the eggs will be over boiled and too hard with green edges. When the pan is removed from heat, the eggs can continue sitting in the sauce to absorb more flavor.
- Serve the pork and/or boiled eggs over rice, pickled mustard greens, carrots & daikon and whatever other serving options you desire. Spoon some sauce over the rice because that's the best part!
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Traditional Vietnamese New Years Tết Braised Caramel Pork
This is a super popular and traditional dish to make on Tết, Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It’s a rich and decadent dish that symbolizes prosperity. Part of starting Tết with this dish is bringing in the new year with richness and the good things in life. Basically, it’s a good luck food and we all know Vietnamese love starting the New Year with all things that symbolize food fortune.
How to Serve Vietnamese Braised Caramel Pork
Traditionally, it’s usually served with warm Jasmine rice and a side of pickled mustard greens. That’s how Mom has served it and that’s how we love to eat it. Comfort in every bite is what comes to mind when we shovel the rice, pork, sauce and bit of egg into our mouths. Then we nibble on a piece of pickled mustard greens to balance out the richness of the pork. You don’t have to eat it this way and neither have we. There’s so many delicious options and ways to serve this wonderful classic, comfort food:
- Make caramel pork banh mi. Mom has often served this pork with a nice, light and crusty baguette. Making your own banh mi is so worth the time.
- Serve the pork and sauce over noodles.
- Just chop up the pork and eggs and toss it with a green salad. Drizzle some of the sauce on top and you have a wonderful low carb lunch.
Storing Leftovers
The boiled eggs do not freeze well. Try to eat the eggs separately and freeze the leftover pork and sauce in airtight containers. But honestly, eating them within 3-4 after cooking is best. The flavors and textures change once it’s frozen. It’s up to you on how long you want to store the caramel pork. I’m just happy that you made it!
I don’t think I’ve ever tried any dish like this one. It’s so delicious. Our whole family had a great time digging into this.
Wow, the pork was so tender and flavorful. And the broth is so perfect and just the right level of sweetness. Very delicious recipe.
I dated a Vietnamese man for a few years and this was something his mother made often. I crave it all the time so I asked him if he’d send me a recipe I could try and make myself. It was delicious! But I didn’t make dark enough caramel so I think I missed out on some excellent flavor. I’m remaking tomorrow to make sure I get the right color 🙂 so glad to have this tonight for dinner, my fiancé and 2 year old are a huge fan.
This is my favorite thit kho recipe ever. The flavors you have here are so good!
Hey Diane, just wanted to say thanks for the story! Brings back my childhood and reminds me how much i appreciate my mom. YAY for supermoms.
Thanks for article…
and even tho i’ve made this on my own, it’s just not the same as mom’s. your pictures remind me that i need to take it back to basics. looking foward to your pickled mustard greens recipe.
oh my god, I can’t wait to try this. This is almost similar to a cambodian dish that I like except it is caramelized with sugar and soy.
Beautiful post. I was just talking to a friend about the power of Ronald McDonald & toys – marketing genius. This looks like a lovely recipe, I’ve got a pork belly in the freezer that is looking for a home so I might have to brush up on my caramel skills!
I love your blog and recipe! I am too Vietnamese and days have out numbered that I miss my parents home cooked meal! Growing up I love American food and my sisters used to bug my dad to take is to mcdonalds after church. I live alone and away from my family. This recipe is so easy to make and it will simply give me that child hood memory if goodness. 🙂
I used to enjoy this dish at my Vietnamese friends’ homes. They taught me to make it, and it is great. One thing I do is make a large amount of the caramel and store it in a glass jar. That way, whenever I want pork and eggs, the caramel is already done. Be sure to make some pickled bean sprouts to go with this dish. Also, combine some fish sauce (Three Crabs is the best brand) and some Sriracha in a bowl to use as a dipping sauce. You take a bit of the egg, a bit of the pork, a bit of the pickled veggies, and dip it in the sauce. It’s awesome.
Happy Eats, everyone!
What a great post! I just made this amazing dish today for myself and was homesick real bad reading this post of yours. Nothing’s like mum’s cooking and I agree with you, this is definitely one of those comfort food dishes that bring out the Vietnamese home-cooking at its best. Thank you!