Caramelized Pork Belly Thit Kho Tau Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Bring 2-3 quarts of water boiling on high, enough to fully submerge the pork. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and the pork to water for 2-3 minutes just to clean it. Drain then rinse the pork under running water until the water is clear.
• Heat sugar in a large wok or pot over medium heat, continuously stirring until it melts and caramelizes into a light brown syrup. Burns easily so keep a close eye and be careful to not let it get candied.
• As soon as sugar reaches the nice amber color, immediately add pork and increase heat to high. Cook and stir to render some of the pork fat, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper; stir to evenly coat pork and allow it to get the color on the meat.
• Stir shallots and garlic into the wok.
• Pour in coconut water and bring to a boil. Liquid should just cover the pork.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Slowly stir and check about every 20 minutes while the pork is simmering to make sure that the liquid doesn't evaporate too much. Add water a little at a time if sauce seems to be drying out.
• Remove cover, add hard-boiled eggs. Continue simmering for about 30-40 minutes with the lid off to allow the liquid to reduce into a nice concentrated sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent meat from drying.
• Remove from the heat and let stand, about 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface of the dish.
• Top with green onions for garnish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on a flat work surface. Lay 1/2 the green parts of the green onions down in the center of the foil. Place pork belly, fattiest-side down, on top of the green onions and top pork belly with remaining 1/2 the green parts of the green onions; sprinkle with salt. Fold aluminum foil tightly around pork and green onions. Wrap pork belly again in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped pork, seam-side up, in a loaf pan.
• Cook pork belly in preheated oven for 5 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven heat and let cool in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove pork from foil and discard green onions. Cut pork into 8 pieces.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp all over, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
• Whisk brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, ginger juice, and soy sauce together in a bowl.
• Remove most of the fat from the skillet and discard. Add 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar glaze and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until pork is glazed on all sides and pieces are caramelized, about 10 minutes. Make a well in the center of the skillet and add chopped white parts of the green onion, garlic, and peppers. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour water and remaining brown sugar glaze into skillet; simmer until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.