What is Thịt Kho Tàu?
Thịt means meat, kho refers to braising in a salty-sweet sauce with caramel and fish sauce. The dish comes from southern Vietnam and is part of the Tết New Year festival there. Families cook a large pot ahead, because the braised meat keeps for several days in the fridge and reheats well. On weekdays you cook smaller amounts and eat them with rice. The same principle works for braising fish, for example in Cá Kho Tộ.
The right ingredients
- Pork belly: Use belly with the skin on and even layers of fat and meat. Cut it into cubes of about 4 cm (1.5 in), because smaller pieces fall apart while braising. Shoulder or neck work too, but the meat turns drier.
- Coconut water: This is the clear water from young coconuts. It gives the sauce sweetness and a light coconut aroma. Coconut milk makes the sauce cloudy and heavy. Use unsweetened coconut water from a bottle or carton.
- Fish sauce: It brings salt and umami. Vietnamese fish sauce made from anchovies and salt tastes rounder than brands with lots of additives.
- Eggs: Chicken eggs are common, and many families in Vietnam use duck eggs. Score the peeled eggs a few times with a knife so the sauce soaks in faster.
How to make Thịt Kho Tàu
Color the caramel
The caramel gives color and a slightly bitter depth. Let the sugar melt in the oil until it reaches the color of dark amber. If it stays light, the dish turns out pale. If it smokes heavily and smells burnt, start over. In Vietnam many cooks make the caramel in advance and call it nước màu.
Blanch the meat
For a clearer sauce, boil the cubes in water for 3 minutes beforehand and rinse them. This removes blood and scum. The recipe card skips this step, and it costs you 5 extra minutes.
Braise gently
The liquid should just cover the meat. If the 400 ml of coconut water is not enough in your pot, top up with water. Let everything simmer gently with the lid half on and skim off fat and foam. After 90 minutes the eggs go in. In the last half hour, reduce the sauce without the lid until it is glossy and slightly thick.
Common mistakes
- Tough meat: Hard boiling tightens the fibers. Keep the heat so low that only a few bubbles rise.
- Too salty: Fish sauce concentrates as it reduces. Taste only at the end and add water if needed.
- Burnt sauce: Toward the end the sauce is thick and sugary. Stir more often in the last 20 minutes.
Variations
Instead of chicken eggs, use 12 to 15 boiled quail eggs, which are colored all the way through after 20 minutes of braising. Without coconut water, braise in water with 1 extra tbsp sugar, and the flavor turns simpler. Some families add one or two fresh chilies or shallots to the pot.
What goes with it
Serve Thịt Kho Tàu with jasmine rice and plenty of sauce over the rice. Pickled vegetables such as mustard greens (dưa cải) or bean sprouts (dưa giá) balance the fat. You may know similar braised pork from Taiwan as Lu Rou Fan.
