-
Preparation
15 minutes
-
Cooking
2 hours 30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Braised pork (Thịt kho Tàu) is one of the braised dishes that has long been associated with the Vietnamese people. For different regions, braised pork will be adapted to suit the preferences of the eaters. Today, let’s cook together with TasteVN to learn the recipe for Southern-style braised pork!
Ingredients for Southern-style Braised Pork For 4 people
Pork belly 500 gr Duck eggs 4 pieces (or chicken eggs) Fresh coconut water 1.5 liters Garlic 5 cloves Chili 5 pieces Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose good quality pork belly
- You should choose pieces of pork belly that have a balanced amount of meat and fat, which will not be greasy when eaten.
- Good pork belly will have a layer of opaque white fat, pink-red meat, and a dry membrane on the outside that does not feel sticky to the touch.
- You should choose pork that still has elasticity when pressed, and the meat should be firm.
- When smelling fresh meat, it will have the characteristic smell of raw meat; spoiled meat will have a foul, rotten, or strange smell.
- Do not buy pieces of meat with very thin fat layers as they may come from pigs raised with lean meat enhancers.
- Avoid choosing pieces of meat that have become mushy, losing their elasticity and firmness. There are strange blood clots on the meat.
How to choose delicious and safe duck eggs
- It is advisable to choose eggs that have a bright appearance, with a layer of white powder on the shell, and feel firm when held.
- Avoid choosing eggs with dark-colored shells that have a strong foul smell. These may be spoiled eggs.
- Shake the egg gently near your ear; if you hear no noise from inside, it is a fresh duck egg.
- Conversely, if you hear a noise coming from inside, it means the egg has been stored for too long.
How to make Southern Braised Pork
-
Prepare the ingredients
Use 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced together with 5 chili peppers, and place the garlic and chili in a bowl.
Place a pot on the stove, add 500ml of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Turn on high heat and add the duck eggs to boil. Boil for about 15 minutes, then remove and let cool before peeling the shell.
-
Preparation of meat
Pork belly bought should be washed several times with salt to remove the smell, then cut into pieces about 1.5 finger widths thick.
Boil about 500ml of water, then blanch the cut meat in boiling water for about 3 – 5 minutes, then remove the meat and let it drain.
Tips for cleaning pork belly, odor-free:Method 1: To remove the odor of meat, first wash the meat with water. Then rub the pork with salt for about 5 minutes and rinse with clean water.
Method 2: You can also replace salt with lemon, vinegar, or white wine.
Method 3: Or remove the odor of pork by blanching the meat in boiling water for about 2 – 3 minutes, remove it, and then wash it again with clean water.
See details: Tips for removing the smell of various types of meat that ladies should know
-
Marinate the meat
Mix the marinade sauce in a bowl with minced garlic and chili using the formula of 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning.
Stir well for the mixture to dissolve, then add all the sauce to the prepped meat. Use chopsticks to stir evenly for the seasoning to absorb into the meat.
Wrap it with plastic wrap and leave it in the sun to dry for about 30 minutes for the meat to absorb the seasoning.
Small tip: To help the meat absorb the seasoning and be drier, the fat after braising will be clearer, and after braising, the piece of meat will be tender but still intact, not falling apart, make sure to dry the meat in the sun before braising!
-
Braised Meat
Put a pot containing 1.5 liters of fresh coconut water on the stove, turn on medium heat and wait for the coconut water to boil, then add all the marinated meat into the pot.
At this point, keep the heat medium and wait for the meat to boil vigorously, then add all the boiled eggs in, and start reducing the heat to very low.
Start braising the meat on low heat for 2 – 3 hours until the braised meat turns a nice color. Remember to season the spices to suit your family’s taste, then turn off the heat.
Tip:- To keep the meat broth clear and avoid the smell of meat, remember to skim off the foam throughout the braising process, starting from the moment you add the meat for braising.
- To make the braised meat even better later, remember not to season the meat too strongly at this moment; if you season too strongly at the beginning, the later stages will make the meat salty and less tasty.
-
Final Product
Southern-style braised pork is special in that it has a slightly sweet taste, fragrant from coconut water, a clear braising liquid, and a natural brown color without needing to caramelize sugar or use coloring sauce.
Southern-style braised pork is often used to eat over many days; the longer it is braised, the more flavorful it becomes, with each braising session having its own distinct aroma.
When biting into a piece of pork, you can feel the tenderness of the meat and the richness from the fat that is released, with the yolk being creamy, making it wonderful to eat with rice.
With the recipe that TasteVN has shared, I hope it will help you know how to make the Southern-style braised pork dish, so you can confidently cook it for the whole family to enjoy. Wishing you all success.
