Thit Heo Kho Nuoc Dua Vietnamese Stewed Pork W Coconut Juice Recipes

VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED SALTY PORK ( THIT KHO)

Steps:

• Wash and cut pork belly into 3/4 inch (cubed)pieces.
• In a dry saucepan, melt sugar on high heat until it becomes golden brown but not candied.
• Immediately, add pork belly pieces, onions, pepper, and garlic. Stir to get a golden color on the meat.
• Add fish sauce and water, deglaze, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes (stirring occasionally) until sauce thickens a little. Add a little more fish sauce and black pepper to taste.
• Serve over white rice.
• Note: Some vietnamese add whole hard boiled eggs (better if you fry the hard boiled eggs in a little oil until golden brown skin) along with the liquids. Adding shrimp is also delicious.

MICHAEL BAO HUYNH'S VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED PORK

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.

THIT HEO KHO NUOC DUA - VIETNAMESE STEWED PORK W/ COCONUT JUICE

Steps:

• Add oiled to a pan heated to medium-high heat, coat bottom of the pan.
• When oil is hot, add garlic, lemongrass, and shallots.
• Stir fry about 30 seconds, they will brown.
• Turn the heat up to high and add the pork in batches.
• Brown the pork on all sides, transfer to a dish and repeat until all the pork is browned.
• Add all the pork back to the pan and add caramel sauce, fish sauce, sugar, five spice powder, and the peppers.
• Stir well and cook over medium heat, it'll take about 2 minutes for it to become fragrant.
• Stir occasionally.
• Add the coconut juice and enough chicken stock (or water) or cover the pork.
• Bring it to a boil and skim off the foam that rises while it cooks.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, Covered, for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Check occasionally, add more stock or water if it reduces too much.
• When the stew is almost done, peel the eggs.
• Traditionally the eggs are scored with an large X on one end without cutting the egg all the way through.
• I prefer to just quarter the eggs. It's easier and I like the egg yolk mixed into the stew sauce.
• Add the eggs to the stew and let it simmer together about 15 more minutes.
• Serve Immediately.
• FOR CARAMEL SAUCE:.
• In a saucepan, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Do not stir! Swirl the pan gentle to dissolve the sugar.
• Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• When the syrup turns deep brown and the bubbles slow down, remove from the heat and add another 1/4 c of hot water.
• Return to medium high heat and sit continuously.
• The caramel dissolves and becomes thick and syrupy about 3-5 minutes later.
• Stir in 1 tsp lemon juice.
• Let cool and store covered in a cool dark place.
• Makes about 3/4 cups.

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

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.