**Experience the symphony of flavors in Vietnamese Caramel Pork: A Culinary Journey Like No Other**
Embark on a tantalizing culinary adventure with Vietnamese Caramel Pork, a symphony of flavors that will captivate your taste buds. This delectable dish, known as "Thit Kho To" in Vietnamese, is a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and umami flavors, sure to leave you craving for more. Prepared with tender pork belly or shoulder, slow-cooked in a rich caramel sauce infused with fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and a touch of chili, this dish is a true labor of love. Accompanied by a medley of recipes, including variations such as the vegetarian version made with tofu, the air fryer method for a healthier twist, and a simplified Instant Pot recipe for convenience, this article offers a comprehensive guide to mastering this iconic Vietnamese dish. Get ready to tantalize your senses and embark on a culinary journey like no other.
VIETNAMESE CARAMELISED PORK BOWLS
Recipe video above. An exciting way to use ground meat (mince) to make a quick stir fry that taste unbelievable! This is great made with chicken, turkey or pork. It also works with beef though it is better made with "white meats". Serve it over rice or vermicelli noodles to make rice bowls with shredded lettuce, carrots and cucumbers on the side (very classic Vietnamese meal!).
Provided by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Categories Stir Fry
Time 20m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the pork mince and cook for 2 minutes or so until white all over, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
- Add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then leave it to cook without touching until all the juices cook out and the pork starts caramelised - about 2 minutes. Then stir it and leave it again, without stirring, for around 30 seconds to get more caramelisation. Repeat twice more until caramelised to your taste.
- Serve over rice or vermicelli noodles, garnished with sliced scallions/shallots. For a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! I like to have chunks of plain cucumber and carrots on the side which is a classic way of making Vietnamese bowls.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 153 g, Calories 341 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 22 g, Fat 13 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Sodium 782 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 16 g
MICHAEL BAO HUYNH'S VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED PORK
Thit kho to - a sticky-sweet pork dish with funky undertones of nuoc mam - is often served on Tet Nguyen Dan, the Vietnamese New Year and the nation's most important holiday. This recipe is adapted from Michael Bao Huynh, a chef and restaurateur who came to the United States as a refugee in 1982. Thit kho to is traditionally made with pork belly, but it can also be made with pork shoulder butt (as shown in the photo) - a lighter though no less delicious alternative. Serve the meat over a pile of snowy white rice with a bottle of hot pepper sauce nearby.
Provided by Dana Bowen
Categories main course
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cover bottom of a large, heavy skillet with one cup sugar and place over medium low heat. As soon as it melts and turns golden, add pork, raise heat to medium, and stir until coated. (Sugar will become sticky and may harden, but it will re-melt as it cooks, forming a sauce.)
- Stir in remaining sugar, salt, pepper and fish sauce. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in garlic and oil and lower to simmer to reduce sauce for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in Vidalia onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Pork should be caramelized; if not, raise heat and sauté while sauce further reduces. Transfer to serving bowl, and sprinkle with scallion greens.
VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED PORK
My quick home version of one of my favorite recipes. Serve with jasmine rice.
Provided by cvucvu1
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Vietnamese
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Place a large heavy skillet or wok over high heat, drizzle the oil into the pan, and pour the sugar over the oil. Cook and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and turns a light brown color. Be careful, the melted sugar is very hot. Stir in the pork, 2 green onions, chile pepper, black pepper, shallots, garlic, and salt, and toss them in the caramelized sugar until the pork turns golden brown. Drizzle the sesame oil over the pork and vegetables, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer to reduce the juices.
- When the juices have been mostly absorbed, turn the heat back up to high, and cook and stir the pork and vegetables until the sauce has thickened and coated the pork, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of green onion rings.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 656.8 calories, Carbohydrate 56.8 g, Cholesterol 119.8 mg, Fat 34.7 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 29.9 g, SaturatedFat 11.7 g, Sodium 97.9 mg, Sugar 51.6 g
CARAMELIZED PORK BELLY (THIT KHO)
This dish is very popular in Vietnamese households for everyday eating but is also traditionally served during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The longer you cook the pork belly, the more tender it becomes. If you make this dish ahead, the fat will congeal on the surface, making it easier to remove, and a little healthier! This also allows the flavors to meld a little more. Serve with rice.
Provided by Pat
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Vietnamese
Time 1h43m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Slice pork belly into 1-inch pieces layered with skin, fat, and meat.
- Heat sugar in a large wok or pot over medium heat until it melts and caramelizes into a light brown syrup, about 5 minutes. Add pork and increase heat to high. Cook and stir to render some of the pork fat, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir shallots and garlic into the wok. Add fish sauce and black pepper; stir to evenly coat pork. Pour in coconut water and bring to a boil. Add eggs, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove wok from the heat and let stand, about 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface of the dish.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 410.3 calories, Carbohydrate 15.6 g, Cholesterol 266.8 mg, Fat 26.3 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 26.7 g, SaturatedFat 8.6 g, Sodium 1831.6 mg, Sugar 6.3 g
VIETNAMESE-STYLE CARAMEL PORK
Stir-fry chunks of pork with shallots, ginger and chilli in a wok then add fish sauce and brown sugar for a sweet, sticky and spicy sauce
Provided by Katy Greenwood
Categories Dinner, Main course
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok over a high heat and stir-fry the pork in batches until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Turn the heat right down and add the remaining oil, then stir in the shallots, ginger and chilli. Cook over a low heat for a couple of mins until just starting to soften. Add the sugar, fish sauce and 200ml water to the pan and stir everything together. Bring to the boil, stirring, so that the sugar dissolves, then return the pork to the pan. Bubble vigorously for 8-10 mins until the sauce thickens to coat the meat and become glossy. Taste and stir in a little more fish sauce, if needed, along with the chilli sauce. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve with steamed rice and pak choi.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 350 calories, Fat 20 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 19 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 19 grams sugar, Protein 24 grams protein, Sodium 0.9 milligram of sodium
THIT HEO KHO TRUNG (PORK AND EGGS IN CARAMEL SAUCE)
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
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.
Tips:
- To make the best caramel, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir the sugar constantly. This will help prevent the sugar from burning.
- If you don't have a heavy-bottomed saucepan, you can use a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir the sugar even more frequently.
- Once the sugar has melted and turned a light amber color, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the water. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble up.
- When you add the pork to the caramel, be sure to coat it evenly. This will help ensure that the pork is evenly flavored.
- Cook the pork over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through. This should take about 30 minutes.
- Serve the caramel pork with rice and your favorite vegetables.
Conclusion:
Vietnamese caramel pork is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of sweet, savory, and salty flavors is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a new recipe to try, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
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