Name: Pork Belly Simmered in Coconut Juice and Caramel
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 bowls as a one-dish meal
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2-inch (5 cm.) piece Rock sugar, about 2 oz. (56 gm.); 20 fl oz. Young coconut juice with meat, from fresh coconut, or buy frozen or canned; 2 lb. (2 kg.) Pork belly, skin-on, 1½-inch (3.8 cm.) pieces (substitute pork shanks or shoulder (butt); 4 oz. Pickled mustard greens (Dưa Cải Chua), cut into bite size pieces; 6 tbsp. Fish sauce (nước mắm); 4 pieces Star anise; 3 cup (750 ml.) Water; 1 tsp. Coarsely Ground black pepper; 3 cloves Garlic, smashed; 2 medium Shallots, thinly sliced, about ¼ inch (0.6 cm.) thick; ¼ cup Vietnamese caramel sauce; 4 lg. Hardboiled eggs; 4 Scallions, chopped

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
bowls as a one-dish meal

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Southeast Asian Flavors

By Robert Danhi

Published 2008

About

A glorious dish in the “kho” style, simmered with caramel, this dish gets added complexity from coconut juice, the liquid trapped in the center of young coconuts (not to be confused with coconut milk).

My friend Chris Rimlinger, a medical doctor by day, is an accomplished Vietnamese cook who taught me how to make this dish. This light version of kho has a very thin broth. If you like it more condensed, reduce the water by one cup. The intense sauce is pure comfort food when eaten ov