Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly & Eggs

A simple, delicious traditional Vietnamese staple. With just a few ingredients, this is an easy one to whip up for the whole family.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs  pork belly or 1 1⁄2 lbs  pork ribs
• 6 -8  eggs
• 16  ounces coconut, soda
•  salt
•  sugar
•  black pepper
•  cooking oil

Directions

1. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, but leave the eggs in the pot for another 5 minutes. Place the eggs in a cold water to cool them down. Peel the eggs and use a tooth pick to poke a few holes all around each egg.
2. Next, rinse off your cut of pork and pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the pork into approximately one and a half inch squares. Sprinkle with some salt and black pepper.
3. Add 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of sugar to the dry pot and cook on high heat, stirring frequently until the sugar melts into a light brown liquid.
4. Quickly, stir in all the meat so the caramel doesn’t burn on the bottom.
5. When all the pieces of the meat turn light brown, pour in the full can of coconut soda and two cups of water. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper and one tablespoon sugar. Cover the pot.
6. As soon as the pot begins boiling, uncover it and skim away all the white foam off the surface. Add in the eggs and cover the pot once more. Bring the heat back down to low and let the dish simmer for about an hour, hour and a half – or until the water reduces almost to the bottom of the pot. This step largely depends on personal preference. If you like thicker sauce, allow it to cook for longer. Just know that leaner cuts of meat can dry out a little if you do. If you like a thinner, wetter sauce, take it off the heat sooner.
7. As always, season to taste as you go!