This is Vietnamese comfort food at its best. Thit Kho or Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with Eggs is made with pork belly braised in a mixture of soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar served with boiled eggs. It is then served on a bed of white rice, which perfectly rounds out the dish.

thit kho recipe

On the blog this week is a recipe for a CLASSIC Vietnamese dish – thit kho or braised pork belly with eggs. When I was little, I definitely took this dish for granted. It was something my mom would make for me all the time. I still remember smelling the aroma of the soy sauce, fish sauce, and pork when I came home from school. The feeling associated with this dish is shared among many in the Vietnamese community. Every time I told a friend I was making thit kho for the blog this week, I always got something like “oh my gosh that was my favorite” as a response. So I am so excited to share this recipe with you.

close up of thit kho

Thit Kho in my family

Kho is the Vietnamese word for braise, and this kind of dish is something I had a lot growing up. Some stuff I had are Ca Kho To, Ca Hoi Kho and Bo Kho, but the one I loved and looked forward to the most was undoubtedly this dish. Every family has their own unique way of making it. For me, my mom liked to keep it simple with pork belly, hard boiled eggs, and the braising liquid. The difference between her recipe and mine is that she used water instead of coconut water. I like using coconut water because it adds more flavor to the dish, but sometimes I do use regular distilled water if I don’t have coconut water on hand.

ingredients

Which cut of pork should you use for thit kho?

I personally like to use pork belly because that is what is traditionally used, but you can also use pork shoulder or pork butt which are leaner cuts. I have made this dish with all 3 of those cuts, and I highly recommend the pork belly. It’s so much juicer and the skin has a nice texture after braising.

dish before braising

What do you serve thit kho with?

Thit kho has a lot of intense flavors, so the best and most traditional thing to eat with it is white rice. The rice soaks up the flavor of the marinade well, and it provides a good balance to the intensely flavored braised pork belly. Other alternatives are quinoa, brown or red rice, and bread (especially banh mi baguettes). I’ve personally had this dish with bread, and it’s amazing!

thit kho recipe

Did you make this Thit Kho?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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thit kho

Get the Recipe:
Authentic Thit Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with Eggs)

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Yield: 4 people
Author: Becca Du
This is a recipe for a Vietnamese comfort food called Thit Kho or Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with Eggs. Pork belly is braised in a mixture of soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar serve with boiled eggs.
4.81 from 51 ratings
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Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • First prepare all your ingredients. Cut the pork belly into chunks that are no thicker than 1 inch. These pieces don't have to be uniform or perfect. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add in the pork belly chunks. Boil for 2-4 minutes to clean the pork belly. Take out and set aside.
  • Next boil your eggs. Add 4 eggs to a pan and cover with water so that there is 1 inch of water above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat. Let sit for 8 minutes and immediately submerge the eggs into ice water. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the shells and set aside.
  • Now it's time to braised your pork belly! Add shallots, garlic, and some oil to a medium pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the shallots and garlic are shiny.
  • Add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and coconut water. Stir and bring to a boil.
  • Add your pork belly back in and lower the heat to a simmer. If the liquid doesn't fully cover the pork belly, add more coconut water until it just covers the meat. Simmer with the pan slightly uncovered for 30 minutes.
  • After simmering for 30 minutes, add in your hard boiled eggs. Let it simmer for another 30 minutes with the pan slightly uncovered. If the liquid does not completely cover the eggs, turn the eggs over after 15 minutes.
  • Garnish the dish with green onions before serving.

Notes

  • Before serving, make sure pork is cooked through before serving. Cooked pork is slightly pink on the inside. If it is not cooked through, simmer for another 15-30 minutes. The finished dish should not have a super thick sauce. If you wish to have a thick sauce, add a corn starch slurry (1/4 teaspoon of corn starch + 1 teaspoon of water).
  • If you really like boiled eggs, add more!
  • Make sure to clean your pork belly – Red meat like pork has some gross, meaty flavors if not cleaned properly. The best way to clean pork is to bring water to a boil and cook the meat for 2 minutes. The brief cook time ensures all the good flavors stay in the meat, and only the bad flavors come out.
  • Braise the pork belly with the pan slightly uncovered – There is a lot of liquid in this dish, so leaving the pan slightly uncovered not only prevents the pork from over cooking, but it also thickens the sauce. In the end, the sauce should not be super thick. It will look watery, but flavorful!
  • Adjust your cook time for the thickness of your meat – The braise time for this recipe can change depending on how thick you cut your pork belly. I cut it 1 inch thick, but if yours are thinner, reduce the braise time and if yours are thicker, increase the braise time. The easiest way to know if your pork belly is done is to try it. Try it and adjust your cook time accordingly.
  • How do you store thit kho? – Store the dish in an airtight container in the fridge. It can last in the fridge for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Calories: 688kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 64g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 245mg, Sodium: 1373mg, Potassium: 486mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 238IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 2mg
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