Braised Pork and Eggs (Thit Kho Trung)

A hot bowl of rice with tender pieces of braised pork and eggs makes the perfect hearty combination for the fall. There are so many variations to this dish that I have tried over the years – all from different moms and all equally delicious. There is always something with mom’s home-cooking that hits the spot. Problem is there are no measurements or consistent ingredients as she cooks with whatever is available. I’ve seen my mom make this dish with sugar, pop, beer, and even wine. After some trial and error, I finally have found the easiest way to make this dish and I’ve taken the liberty to measure all the ingredients out for y’all. Moms will be proud.

Ingredients (serves 6-8 people)

• 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 12 oz of coca-cola
• 1-2 cups of coconut water
• 3 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
• optional: chopped scallions and thai chillies
  

Side note on these ingredients. This recipe is typically made with caramelized sugar, but using coke makes the prep just a tiiiiny bit easier (meaning I don’t have to worry about burning the sugar) and adds color to the dish. Pork shoulder can be substituted with pork belly. Growing up, my mom rarely cooked with pork belly and getting pork shoulder alone was a treat in itself. Each cut creates a different texture after being braised, with pork shoulder having a much lighter consistency. As I’ve been upping my protein and very loosely “counting” my macros, I’ve stuck with pork shoulder and will throw 12 eggs to make it an easy dozen. My husband has commented on having too many eggs in this dish… but excuse me while I take all the extra eggs for them gains.

Instructions

1. Pre-heat a dutch oven or large pot to medium-high.
2. Place pork cubes into dutch oven or large pot and sear. Let’s call it the “pork pot.”
3. While pork is searing… mix garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, coca-cola, and coconut water. For thicker consistency, use less coconut water.
4. Once pork is browned on all four sides, pour in mix from step 3. Set temp to medium low then cover and cook for 30 minutes.
5. In a separate pot – bring eggs to boil, boil for 8 minutes, peel, and set aside.
   
6. After pork pot has cooked for 30 minutes, gently place boiled eggs into pork pot, cover and cook for another 15 minutes occasionally turning the eggs.
7. Serve it with a bowl of white rice and enjoy all the braised goodness. For some added heat, top it with thai chillies! For those who want a little more salt – a side of fish sauce is perfect for dipping.
   

-Sophia