Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Braised Pork Ribs with Eggs)
This thit kho trung recipe is my all time favorite Vietnamese comfort food. Just imagine: incredibly tender slides-off-the-bone pork ribs braised in a savory and sweet umami coconut caramel sauce with boiled eggs served with rice and leafy greens. YUM.
Caramelize the sugar. In a small saucepan, mix together sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook on medium low heat without stirring for for about 10-12 minutes. Do not stir. Instead every 3 minutes pick up the saucepan and swirl it around to prevent from burning. Cook until it darkens to a deep amber/black.
Add the water. Immediately when it turns deep amber/black, remove the pan off of the heat and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of water until dissolved and thins out the caramel. Be careful the water will splatter. The caramel should be thickened yet runny. Set aside in a jar to cool.
Boil the Eggs
Boil and peel the eggs. Boil a small pot of water. Once the water boils, gently place the eggs in to boil for 8-10 minutes. Then strain the water and immediately place the eggs an ice bath to cool. Then peel the eggs and set aside.
Braise the Ribs and Eggs
Prepare the meat. Chop pork back ribs into 1.5- 2-inch pieces.
Stir fry the onions and garlic. On high heat, in a braiser or shallow pot, heat olive oil, onions and garlic mix until fragrant, and browned.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of caramel until thoroughly mix. Then add the ribs and toss to coat the ribs for about 30 seconds-1 minute. Lastly, add the coconut water and boiled eggs.
Braise the ribs. Leave on high heat until it boils. Skim the scum that rises to the top. When the pot begins to boil, turn down heat to medium-low, cover the pot and let the meat simmer for 90 min-2 hours or until sauce is reduced about 1/4. Flip the eggs periodically so the eggs can evenly soak in the sauce.
Serve. Serve with rice and stir-fried leafy greens and enjoy!
Notes
Don't stir the sugar until it is dark brown. The sugar will crystallize and harden too soon. To cook the caramel evenly, simply lift the pan and slowly swirl it around every few minutes.
Stir fry the garlic and onion until browned. This step is so important in releasing the flavors of the garlic and onion which blends beautifully into this dish.
Substitute pork ribs for pork belly. This dish is also traditionally made with pork belly instead of pork ribs. You can substitute the pork ribs out for pork belly or you can use a mixture of the two!
Adjust the seasoning at the end to taste. When it comes to cooking, taste everything. Tinker with the measurements of fish sauce, sugar, and salt at the end to get your desired taste.
Be patient! To achieve that melt-off-of-the-bone effect for these ribs, you will need to simmer the meat until the coconut water reduces to about 1/4 of its original volume.
Storage Instructions: You can store leftover thit kho in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Once you refrigerate this dish, the fat will solidify at the top. You can microwave it and the fat will dissolve. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.