Thịt kho trứng (Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs and Eggs)

This Vietnamese braised pork ribs and eggs in caramel sauce (Thịt kho trứng) recipe is so easy to make and is such a great comfort food for those weeknights where you want to just stay in. Braised in a sweet and savoury umami-flavoured coconut sauce. The pork ribs are so tender and easily fall off the bone. The boiled eggs absorb all the caramel sauce. Enjoy this over a bed of rice and everyone will beg for more.

This is one Vietnamese recipe that incorporates sweet and savoury together that keeps you reaching for more to spoon the sauce over your rice and green vegetables. It is damn delicious!

What is Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs and Eggs (Thit Kho Trung)?

Traditionally Thit Kho Trung is made with pork belly but I like to use pork riblets because it has less fat. Since my kids love this recipe, I try to modify the recipe so it’s healthier. The Thit Kho recipe with pork belly will be a recipe I make for another day!

Thit Kho is a popular South Vietnamese dish that is served during Tet Holiday also known as Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The dish is offered to ancestors and family members before it’s consumed. However, this is commonly made as a meal consumed on any regular day.

This braised pork and egg in a caramel coconut sauce incorporates the sweet, savoury and umami flavours and it just gets simmered down to reduce the sauce. The sauce is a perfect thin consistency to cover your rice and anything else you are serving as a side. My daughter will request this for lunch the next day with rice and an egg. 

Why we love this recipe

I was introduced to this dish when I start dating my then-boyfriend (now husband) and my mother-in-law only made it with these pork ribs. She even added real coconut pieces.

My guess is pork ribs have the bone in and when you braise the pork ribs the collagen from the bones gets infused into the Thit Kho Trung sauce which adds some health benefits. This is why she prefers to use pork ribs over pork belly. She probably also uses ribs over belly due to health reasons as there is less fat content in pork ribs.

I also am certain that the cut of meat also has a nice texture when braised and the meat just falls off the bones because it becomes so tender.

What is the difference between Vietnamese and Cambodian braise pork and eggs?

Cambodia has their own version of braised pork and eggs. It’s called Kaw Sach Chrouk.

The Cambodian variation uses more ingredients like herbs, vegetables, tofu and different sauces to add more flavour.

The Vietnamese Braised Pork and Eggs uses fairly simple and fewer ingredients but still delivers an amazing flavor-packed dish.

How to Serve Vietnamese Braised Pork Rib with Eggs?

Serve this with a bowl of rice and some favourite green vegetables. Traditionally mustard green is served with this dish. My go-to for Asian green vegetables is bok choy or shanghai choy. They pair well with the Thit Kho sauce.

I wouldn’t suggest eating this without some sort of carb such as rice since the Braised Pork Rib is so rich in flavours and has a relatively high-fat content. It is nice to balance it out with white jasmine rice and some light and crispy vegetables. 

How to make NƯỚC MÀU caramel sauce?

Making a good NƯỚC MÀU caramel sauce is important to get a beautiful brown color. It’s very easy to burn this dish if you take your eyes off the pan while you can cook the caramel sauce. 

This is one time where I would say “FOCUS on the task at hand”. You could easily see a light brown sauce and take your eyes off to wash your hand and come back to over burnt caramel sauce. So I would say keep your eyes on the stove during this step to avoid having to throw it in the trash and starting over again.

The key is to add the water slowly one teaspoon at a time and stir constantly. Once you see the sauce begin to turn a dark brown lift the pan off the stove to help reduce the chance of the caramel sauce burning on the stove. Continue to stir the sauce when the pan is in the air to help even out the caramel sauce.

Ingredients and variations

Pork ribs: I like to use pork ribs for this recipe, however, you can use any cut of pork. Most commonly used is pork belly, but I have seen pork shoulder used as well. The keep is to simmer it down and let it cook so the pork is tender and soft. This timing will vary and you will need to use judgement when using different cuts of pork. I also do recommend soaking the pork ribs in salt water for 10 minutes and parboiling it for 10 minutes. This cleaning and parboiling will help make the pork bones taste cleaner and let the pork rib absorb more flavour. Brining lets the protein loosen up and let’s draw in the salt water. It adds some flavour and also results in more tender cooked meat.

Boiled eggs: I use regular chicken eggs. Sometimes if I have some quail eggs I will boil them and throw them in as well near the end of the braising. If you want to omit the egg that’s also a personal preference and it doesn’t change the taste of the dish. Adjust the number of eggs as you wish. If you like the eggs feel free to add more.

Coconut water: I like using coconut water with pulp, this adds a little piece to the recipe. If fresh coconut is available where you are feel free to use it. Make sure to use coconut water and not coconut milk. Coconut milk is used for curries.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds the umami flavour to the dish.  I use Three Crabs or Red Boat Fish Sauce. If you don’t have fish sauce on hand you can substitute with soy sauce. Adjust to your preference, I would start with 1 tbsp and taste and add more if you prefer the dish to be saltier.

NƯỚC MÀU: I find using white granulated sugar works best to get the dark brown nuoc mau colour. This is more a personal preference in aesthetics for the dish. You can substitute it with brown sugar.

How to make this recipe

Soak the pork ribs in salt water for 30 minutes. Add the pork ribs to a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. This will draw out the impurities. Rinse in a colander and wash thoroughly.

Make the nuoc mau caramel sauce. In a medium pot on medium-high heat add the sugar and slowly add the water. One tablespoon at a time while stirring the sugar. Continue to do this until the sugar begins to turn yellow to dark brown. Lift the pot off the stove and continue to stir. 

Add the clean parboiled pork ribs along with the crushed garlic to the pot. Mixing well so the pork ribs are covered in the nuoc mau caramel sauce. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, sugar, salt and black pepper and mix well. Lastly, add the 2 cans of coconut water with pulp and stir. Turn the heat to high and once it starts to boil turn it down to medium-low add the peeled hard-boiled eggs and simmer for approximately 75 minutes. 

Serve with rice and your choice of vegetables! Enjoy! 

How to store

My mother-in-law has a very hard-working ethic and even after working a long day and making her dinner for the family, she will still make this dish after dinner. She will store this in containers for us for the next day.

Before she gives us the takeaway container she will open the lid and scrape out the oil from the top. This is to prevent us from eating the sauce that’s loaded with fat and oil from the ribs. This is a form of love language known in our Asian culture.

So my story leads into this can definitely be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 days and it is also helpful to use a spoon to remove the white solidified oil. 

Success tips to make the best braised pork ribs and eggs

1. To achieve a nice tender and flavourful pork rib I do recommend soaking the ribs in salt water for 30 minutes and parboiling for 10 minutes to remove all the impurities. 
2. Make a big batch of this and store it in a freezer container for those busy weekend meals. It can freeze for up to 3 months. This was one of the meals I made in a large batch during my pregnancy so a hot meal could easily be ready after I gave birth. It stored really well and was super tasty. It was also great for milk production!
3. Add real coconut pieces to the pot to braise and adds a nice texture. You can find frozen coconut pieces in your Asian supermarket. Add it in at the same time as the coconut water.
4. Flavouring the parboiled pork ribs before adding them to the pot adds more flavour. After you parboil the pork ribs add some salt and sugar and mix it in. 
5. Searing the pork ribs helps lock in the flavour if you marinade it.
6. Braising requires a minimum of 75 minutes. This is to help achieve nice tender pork. If you are making a smaller batch you can reduce the braising to 60 minutes and if you are making more it would require up to 90 minutes of braising.
7. Consume this dish the day after actually has a deeper flavour. This generally applies to many Vietnamese dishes where the flavour really develops when the dish is consumed one day after it’s been cooked.

Did you make this Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs and Eggs? I would love to hear about it! Feel free to comment below!

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