The Pham family often makes this dish with 2 pounds of pork because it keeps super well and they adore it. I’ve written the recipe as a smaller batch but you can always double it (use a slightly bigger pot!). If you do not have Red Boat salt, use ½ teaspoon fine sea salt and a little more fish sauce. You can always adjust things at the end. See the Note if you want to use homemade caramel sauce. Thank you Ann Pham for sharing the recipe.
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4people
Ingredients
1poundlean pork belly, with or without skin, or fatty pork shoulder
1 ½teaspoonsRed Boat Salt
¾teaspoonrecently or freshly ground black pepper
2teaspoonsneutral oil, such as canola
1small shallot, minced (1 ½ tablespoons)
1large garlic clove, minced (1 ½ teaspoons)
2tablespoonswhite granulated sugar or shaved light palm sugar(about 1 ounce)
1tablespoonRed Boat fish sauce
2tablespoonswater
1or 2 Thai chilis, split lengthwise
1Persian cucumber, thickly sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
If using pork belly, cut across the meat grain into 1 to 1 ¼-inch wide rectangular chunks. Then cut the chunks into ¼-inch-thick pieces. (When using pork shoulder, do your best to cut it into similar size pieces, each about ¼-inch thick. Try to get a little fat with the lean.) Season the pork with the salt and pepper and set aside.
In a 3-quart saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes, until some pieces start browning. Turn off the heat.
Slide the pan to a cold burner, let the cooking calm down, then transfer the shallot and garlic to a small bowl of plate. Keep nearby.
Replace the pan over medium heat, add the sugar then let the sugar melt, stirring frequently with a silicone spatula. Once sugar has melted and caramelized to a light orange, about 1 minute, add back the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes longer, to further brown the aromatics and push the caramelization to a rich dark brown. Lower the heat if the pan seems to get out of control, or if there’s smoke.
Dump in the pork and mix well. Stir frequently to cook the pork until it no longer looks raw, about 2 minutes. Sugar will stick to your spatula so knock it off with a spoon or other utensil.
Add the fish sauce, water, and Thai chilis. Stir and let come to a vigorous simmer. Cover and lower the heat to gently simmer. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat as needed. The pork is done when it is firm tender, a lovely brown-red color, and there’s a rich sauce in the pan. Turn off the heat, cover, and let rest 5 minutes for flavors to meld.
If there’s too much fat (a possibility with the pork belly), use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a bowl. Tilt the pan and use a metal ladle to remove as much fat as you like; save the fat for other uses. Replace the pork in the pan and stir to coat in sauce.
Taste the pork and sauce. If needed, add a sprinkling of Red Boat Salt, fish sauce, pepper, or sugar to create a savory, spicy sweet finish. If the flavor is too salty or you just want more sauce, stir in water by the tablespoon and if needed, reheat to combine. Transfer to a shallow bowl and serve with the cucumbers on a separate dish as an accompaniment.
Notes
If you have homemade caramel sauce (see my recipe and how-to video), use 2 tablespoons and add it at the end of step 3, after you've cooked the shallot and garlic.