Pork belly and whole eggs braised low and slow in coconut water, fish sauce and caramel until deeply savoury and mahogany-coloured. A southern Vietnamese home dish especially common around Lunar New Year.
Boil the eggs
Hard-boil the eggs for ten minutes, then cool in cold water and peel.
10 minParboil the pork
Blanch the pork belly chunks in boiling water for three minutes to remove surface impurities, then drain and rinse.
3 minMake the caramel
Melt the sugar in a dry pot over medium heat for four minutes, swirling but not stirring, until it turns deep amber.
Brown the pork in the caramel
Carefully add the pork, shallots and garlic to the caramel, standing back as it sputters, and stir for three minutes until the pork is coated and glossy.
3 minBraise the pork
Pour in the coconut water and fish sauce, bring to a simmer, cover, and braise gently for fifty minutes until the pork is tender.
50 minAdd the eggs
Add the peeled eggs and whole chillies if using, and simmer uncovered for fifteen more minutes so the eggs soak up colour and flavour.
Serve
Season with black pepper to taste and serve hot over steamed rice.
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