Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Vietnamese Caramel Pork Recipe
This Vietnamese Pork recipe is an epic Vietnamese meals speciality that’s simple to recreate in your individual house. Sluggish cooked tender pork items in a sticky savoury-sweet glaze, Vietnamese Caramel Pork is a magical method to rework pork shoulder into one thing unique and spectacular. And it’s SO simple!
Full your Vietnamese banquet with recent Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls to begin and a facet of fluffy coconut rice. And don’t miss the chicken model – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork recipe
Vietnamese Caramel Pork is a type of gems that appear unique, but is unbelievably easy AND you’ll be able to get all the pieces you want at your native grocery store. The pork is braised till tender, and appears utterly unimpressive till the final 5 minutes when it magically caramelises and turns into one thing that you just’d pay severe $ for at a complicated Asian restaurant.
It’s candy but savoury, and the pork is fork tender. It’s known as Thit Kho To in Vietnamese, and it’s historically made with pork stomach. Personally, I choose making it with pork shoulder (butt) as a result of I discover pork stomach too fatty.
I simply realised – I name this “fork tender”, however I assume it’s extra applicable to say “chopstick tender”… 😂
The key ingredient – coconut WATER
There’s one ingredient in Vietnamese Caramel Pork that you could be not have in your pantry however is offered in all main supermarkets these days – coconut water. If you happen to’re into wholesome smoothies, you might effectively have some stashed away!!!
It’s not costly, $2 – $3 relying on the place you get it (Asian grocer shops are cheaper), and it’s primarily the “secret ingredient” for this recipe.
It doesn’t actually style like coconut, it’s type of salty and candy. Which makes it best to make use of because the broth for this recipe.
Substitute for coconut water?
Make it with coconut milk! I’ve tried it, and it’s nice. A bit saucier, somewhat sweeter, with a slight coconut flavour and odor that you just don’t get within the conventional recipe. See the Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken recipe which is made with coconut milk.
The right way to make this Vietnamese Pork
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Put brown sugar and water in a pot, deliver to simmer to make a caramel;
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Add pork, fish sauce*, garlic and eschallots**
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Simmer for 1.5 hours till the pork is tender. Then magically, the pot of pale brown meat items in a murky liquid instantly transforms into bronzed items of delectable, extremely tender pork that simply melts in your mouth.
* NO it is not going to style fishy! It’s the Vietnamese model of soy sauce!
** French shallots, shallots, relying on the place you reside. The child onions. 🙂
The right way to serve Vietnamese Caramel Pork
As a result of the glaze has fairly a powerful flavour, I wish to serve this with plain white rice. Steamed jasmine rice can be on level.
And for a recent facet, a crunchy Asian Slaw can be very becoming – and the recent flavour can be nice to stability the richness of the pork. Or toss steamed greens or a backyard salad with this Asian Sesame Dressing or the Nuoc Cham on this Lemongrass chicken recipe.
“This Vietnamese pork recipe is a Vietnamese meals speciality. One chew, and also you’ll perceive why!”
I like recipes like this. Forgiving, tastes unique, kapow! flavours. It sounds and appears unique, however the flavours are universally interesting.
Asian Meals Lovers – that is for YOU! It’s an absolute ripper that I feel you’ll love! – Johnsat x
Get your Vietnamese repair!
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Bun Cha – Vietnamese Meatballs (Noodle Bowl)
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Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken – the chicken model of this recipe
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Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
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Lemongrass Chicken – one in all my favorite issues to grill!
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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the tremendous fast model of the above
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Vietnamese Noodle Salad
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Browse all Vietnamese recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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 1a)
- 1.5 cups / 375 ml coconut water (Note 1b)
- 1 eschallot / shallot , very finely sliced (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- Red chilli and finely sliced shallots/green onions
Instructions
- 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.
- 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).
- Simmer for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Stir once or twice while cooking.
- 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).
- Stir and the pork will brown and caramelise in the fat.
- Once the liquid is all gone and it’s now stuck on the pork pieces, it’s ready.
- 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.
Notes
1b. 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. And I’ve now shared the chicken version – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken (it’s stickier / saucier).
1b. 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, and I’ve since shared a coconut milk version using chicken – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken.
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, finely chop 1/4 cup.
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 and this one from Luke Nguyen SBS Food (I found the liquid ratio too high).
6. QUICK VERSION: Here is a quick version inspired by this recipe that I have shared using pork mince (ground pork) -> Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls.
7. The calories in the table below are overstated because it assumes all the fat in the pork shoulder is consumed but there is fat left in the pot after serving.
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