hecticit: I’m viet and this helps!
NespreSilver: Wow that looks good. Not a recipe I’m familiar with either. Well done OP.
speedylee: **[Vietnamese Caramel Pork](http://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-caramel-pork)** by RecipeTin Eats
*Prep Time: 10 mins, Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins, Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins, Servings: 4*
**Ingredients**
* 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar, tightly packed
* 1 tbsp water
* 1 kg / 2 lb pork shoulder (butt) or boneless skinless pork belly, cut into 3 cm / 1.2″ pieces (Note 1)
* 1 1/4 cups / 375 ml coconut water (Note 1)
* 1 eschallot / shallot , very finely sliced (Note 2)
* 2 garlic cloves , minced
* 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
* 1/4 tsp white pepper
*Garnishes:*
* Red chilli and finely sliced shallots/green onions
**Instructions**
1. Place sugar and water in a large pot over medium heat. Stir, then when it bubbles and the sugar is melted (it looks like caramel), add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Stir, then adjust the heat so it is simmering fairly energetically. Not rapidly, not a slow simmer (I use medium heat on a weak stove, between medium and low on a strong stove).
3. Simmer for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Stir once or twice while cooking.
4. At around 1.5 hours, when the liquid has reduced down and the pork is tender, (see Note 3 if pork is not yet tender), the fat will separate (see video).
5. Stir and the pork will brown and caramelise in the fat.
6. Once the liquid is all gone and it’s now stuck on the pork pieces, it’s ready.
7. Serve over rice, garnished with fresh chilli and shallots. Simple pickled vegetables are ideal for a side because the fresh acidity pairs well with the rich pork.
**Recipe Notes**
1. Other proteins/cuts: This recipe is suitable for slow cooking cuts of pork like shoulder/butt and belly. Please don’t try this with tenderloin or loin – it will be too dry, there is not enough fat in those cuts. This recipe will also work great with beef – use slow cooking cuts like chuck, gravy beef and brisket. I don’t think the flavours will work with lamb. I tried this recipe with chicken and found it doesn’t work quite as well, it works better with coconut milk (see note 1b) but the recipe required other adjustments too so given the popularity of this recipe, I will share the chicken version soon! Coconut water is different from coconut milk. It’s more like a whitish water, and it tastes salty / sweet, and not really of coconut at all. It’s sold at supermarkets here in Australia in the drinks aisle – it’s popular for “healthy” smoothies and the like, and costs $2 – $3 (Asian stores are cheaper). This recipe does actually work great with coconut milk as well, but I’d urge you to use low fat / light coconut milk and the end result is slightly sweeter with a coconut fragrance that you don’t get in the traditional version. Also add 2 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar. Also slightly more sticky sauce coats the pork. Both are delish, I chose to share the traditional version using coconut water.
2. Eschallots are also known as French shallots / French onions and look like small onions. Don’t get too hung up on this – you can even use normal onions. Just finely chop 1/4 cup. Eschallots are good because they are more delicate than normal onions so they add the flavour but dissolve into the sauce.
3. PORK TENDERNESS: The variable in this recipe is the time it takes for the liquid to reduce down vs pork being tender. If your pork is not quite tender enough by the time the braising liquid is almost evaporated, just add 1/2 cup water and keep cooking.
4. Simple Pickled Vegetables: Use a carrot peeler to peel ribbons from 1 carrot. Slice 2 cucumbers. Place 1/2 cup rice vinegar (or cider vinegar), 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp white sugar in a bowl, stir. Add carrot and cucumber, stir. Set aside for 20 minutes until the vegetables soften then drain. Coriander/cilantro and mint are great additions to a simple pickled veg like this. Serve with pork.
5. Adapted from various recipes from Vietnamese cookbooks.
