Thit Kho To Pork In Clay Pot Recipes

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.

CARAMELIZED PORK BELLY (THIT KHO)

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.

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.

THIT KHO TO -- PORK IN CLAY POT

Steps:

• Make the caramel by heating the sugar in a small, heavy-based pan over a low heat.
• Stir constantly until it is moist and thick.
• Take off the heat and add the fish sauce.
• Return to a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the shallots and pepper to the caramel and leave to cool.
• Pour the sauce into a claypot or flameproof casserole.
• Add the pork to the sauce.
• Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
• At the end of cooking, the pork should be in a little rich gravy.
• Serve with the egg if using, spooning the gravy over them.

CLAY POT PORK

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a medium-size heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat, shaking gently every once in a while, until it starts to melt. Start stirring with a fork and continue, crushing clumps of sugar so that the sugar melts evenly. When the sugar is liquid, continue to cook for another minute or so until it darkens, then remove from heat.
• Combine the chicken stock and fish sauce and carefully add at arm's length to the sugar (it will splutter and pop). Turn heat to medium high, return sugar mixture to the heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined. (If the sugar clumps when you add the liquid, don't worry, it will melt again.)
• Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, pepper, chili if using, and the white portion of the scallions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are nicely softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add pork to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partly cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of stock or water if the pan looks too dry, until the pork is very tender and the liquid has reduced to a medium-thick sauce, about 1 hour.
• Remove from heat, add the green part of the scallions, and serve over steamed white rice.