Vietnamese Pork Belly Simply Braised and Caramelised

Vietnamese pork belly is influenced by a dish called thit ba chi kho, it features pork braised & caramelised in a salty, spicy-sweet sauce.

Whilst this dish takes a shade over an hour to cook, it is exceptionally easy. Brown the pork, then chuck it all in the wok and put your feet up!

Thit Ba Chi Kho

I adore pork belly; it is hands down my favourite cut of pork. I use it for dishes as diverse as a good British roast pork, a Sri Lankan influenced pork belly curry, and the slightly fancy pressed pork belly.

Here, pork belly gets some Vietnamese influences in a dish that uses techniques common across Southeast Asia.

The principal technique involves cooking the meat in a sweet and salty broth until it all evaporates, leaving a sweet and sticky glaze.

It is one that appears in my Indonesian influenced babi chin recipe and my Korean influenced pork belly with asparagus.

It is a wonderful cooking technique that leads to beautifully cooked pork and a wonderfully shiny glaze!

I flavour that glaze with star anise, lemongrass and chilli in a really simple recipe to cook.

If you enjoy this, then you will love my Vietnamese-influenced caramel chicken recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use another cut of pork?

Not really, no other cut comes close to the layering of fat in pork belly, which is one of the defining features of this dish.

Can I use light soy sauce?

You can, but it is not ideal, and you will need to make some alterations to the recipe.

Light soy sauce is less sweet and more salty than the dark variant. If you want to sub in light soy sauce, reduce the amount to two tablespoons and add an extra teaspoon of brown sugar.

Do I have to use fish sauce?

For me, yes. This dish has very few ingredients and lives and dies on the umami sensation provided by fish sauce and MSG.

Do I have to use MSG?

"Have to" is a strong word, but it really does elevate this dish greatly! Monosodium glutamate really enhances the umami "flavour" in a dish.

There are no proven negative side effects, and it is perfectly natural. It originates from seaweed broth, although today it is much more likely to be made from sugar cane, beets or molasses.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, this reheats wonderfully and will sit in the fridge for 2-3 days. Be sure to reheat this slowly to prevent the sugars from burning.

Serving Suggestions

I've served my Vietnamese pork belly here with some plain rice and chopped spring onions. But it is a versatile dish that goes with lots of dishes.

Sticking with rice, egg fried rice is perfect with this recipe if you have a second wok!

On to the veggies, some stir-fried broccoli or an asparagus stir fry would both make a nice addition to this recipe.

If you wanted to serve this with a salad this spicy cucumber salad would be great, as would this green papaya salad.

You could even go with noodles; this Thai influenced glass noodle salad would be perfect.

Equipment Used

I don't recommend specific brands of equipment unless I think that it makes a tangible impact on the recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments section below.

• A combination of measuring scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Sharp kitchen knife.
• Cutting board.
• Wok, I use a well-seasoned carbon steel wok.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Mixing bowls.
• Stovetop.

Vietnamese Pork Belly Recipe

4.50 from 8 votes

Thit ba chi kho is a Vietnamese braised and caramelised pork belly dish; it is extremely simple to make and tastes fantastic!

Main Course

Anglo Vietnamese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 Servings

Calories 767kcal

Author Brian Jones

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Ingredients

• 400 g Pork Belly Strips 14oz
• 30 g Brown Sugar 2 tablespoon
• 6 Small Dried Chilli Peppers
• 2 Star Anise
• 3 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 15 g Ginger ½ of a thumb-sized piece
• 1 Stick Lemongrass
• ⅛ teaspoon Monosodium Glutamate MSG

Instructions

• Cut the pork belly into chunks 1-2cm thick across the strip.
• Heat a wok over a medium-low heat and add the pork; there is no need for any oil. Stir the pork every couple of minutes. This process will take about 20 minutes.
  
• Cut the red pepper into a 1cm dice.
• Bash the piece of ginger with the side of a knife to bruise it.
• Bash the lemongrass with a knife to bruise it.
• Once the pork is nicely browned, remove it and place it in a bowl.
• Add the brown sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce and stir.
  
• Once the sauce begins to bubble add the star anise and chilli peppers and stir for 30 seconds.
  
• Return the pork to the wok along with the red pepper, lemongrass and ginger, then pour over enough water to cover the pork by around 5-6mm (¼").

  Sprinkle in the MSG and stir to combine.
  
• Turn the heat up to medium and cook for 45-50 minutes at a medium boil until almost all of the liquid has reduced and you are left with a viscous and shiny coating on the pork.
  

Serving: 1 | Calories: 767kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 2233mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g