Vietnamese Braised Pork and Eggs

Quick answer

Total time: 80 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Thit kho trung is a Vietnamese home-style braise of pork and hard-boiled eggs simmered low and slow in coconut water, fish sauce, and a caramel base for nearly an hour.

Sugar is cooked in the pot until it reaches a deep amber caramel before the pork is added, coating the meat in a dark, slightly bitter glaze that underpins the entire flavor of the dish. Coconut water contributes a gentle tropical sweetness and keeps the meat from drying out through the long simmer in a way that plain water cannot. The eggs, peeled and added from the start, absorb the braising liquid through the full cooking time and turn brown all the way to the yolk, taking on the complete range of salty-sweet seasoning. Spoon the sauce over steamed rice and the combination delivers the characteristic Vietnamese balance of fermented fish depth, caramel bitterness, and coconut softness all at once. Pork shoulder or pork belly with skin attached works best for this recipe because the collagen in the connective tissue melts into the braising liquid during the long cook, giving the sauce a glossy, slightly viscous body that clings to the rice.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

pork shoulder700 gg

eggs6 eaea

coconut water500 mlml

fish sauce2 tbsptbsp

sugar1½ tbsptbsp

minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

black pepper½ tsptsp

Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Hard-boil the 6 eggs, cool them in cold water, and peel them cleanly so the braising liquid can stain the surface.

Cut the 700 g pork shoulder into large bite-size pieces and pat it dry before it goes into the caramel.
2

Control

Put the 1.5 tablespoons sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat and let it melt without rushing.

When it turns deep amber and smells lightly toasted, lower the heat immediately so the caramel does not burn.
3

Heat

Add the pork and stir for about 3 minutes, coating every surface with the caramel.

When the outside turns glossy brown, add the minced garlic and cook briefly until it smells fragrant, not scorched.
4

Season

Add the 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, then cook for 1 more minute.

Scrape the bottom as you stir so the salty seasoning loosens into the caramel instead of sticking and burning.
5

Control

Pour in the 500 ml coconut water and add the peeled boiled eggs so they braise with the pork.

Once it boils, reduce to medium-low, leave the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for about 45 minutes.
6

Finish

Check that a chopstick slides into the pork easily and that the sauce has reduced to a glossy coating.

Roll the eggs through the sauce to deepen their color, adjust the final seasoning, and serve with steamed rice.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Thit kho trung simmers pork and eggs in coconut water and a bitter-sweet caramel base for a deep, amber Vietnamese braise.
Finish cue: Check that a chopstick slides into the pork easily and that the sauce has reduced to a glossy coating.
Avoid this: When it turns deep amber and smells lightly toasted, lower the heat immediately so the caramel does not burn.
Storage and reheating: Cooling and reheating helps eggs absorb more flavor.