Thịt Kho Tàu - 東坡肉 - Dongpo Pork - Vietnamese Style Braised Pork Belly

Where ever there are Chinese immigrants, there is a variation of thịt kho tàu.  In Vietnamese, tàu means boat.  The term came about because during the Japanese invasion into China, the Chinese seek refuge in Vietnam and they came by boat.  A friend's grandmother recalled they came off boats in large numbers and in huge waves.  Many of these boat people settled in southern Vietnam and Cambodia.

This recipe is more healthier version made without the fat and skin attached.  I know a lot of Vietnamese people feel that you can't have this dish without the fat and skin attached.  When making the "healthier" version, look for a well marbled cut of pork, with some fat integrated into the meat.  Any shoulder or butt piece would do the job.  I stay away from the loin cut because it is too lean and the dish will come out dry.

2 lbs Boston butt roast
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 coconuts with liquid or 2 cans of coconut juice
2 Tbsp thick soy sauce or caramel sauce
4-6 hard-boiled eggs
1 Tbsp sugar
6-10 points star anise
Water

Cut the pork into 1-inch squares.  Rinse and clean the pork well.  Add oil to the bottom of your pot and sautee the garlic, avoiding burning them. Place the cut pork in the pot.  Sear the meat and pour in the coconut juice.  It should come up to the top of the meat.  If not, use water to get you the rest of the way. Allow for it to simmer with lid on, on medium heat.  Scoop out any impurities that float to the top.  About 20 minutes in, add the thick soy sauce.  About 40 minutes in, add the eggs. Make sure that the eggs gets pushed below the water line. Add sugar.  Cook on low heat until the pork is tender.  It will take about an hour.

Thịt Heo Quay - Crispy Roast Pork REVISITED

I have been making crispy pork for some time now.  One thing that I hate about making this dish was the skin part.  It was tedious work to poke the skin and scoring the skin so that it was bubble up and be crispy. It occurred to me that I could boil the pork, skin side down only to soften the skin before scoring and poking it.  That one extra step made it so much easier!!

1 to 1.5lb of pork belly
1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
3 tsp Kosher salt divided 2 to 1
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp of sugar
2 cloves garlic minced finely
.5 tsp baking soda

Wash and clean the pork belly.  Take a pan and add some water.  Boil the pork belly, skin side down.  You just need enough water to cover the skin portion of the cut.  Remove when the skin looks "puffy" or soft to the touch.  Score diamond cuts into the meaty side of the meat and take a toothpick or skewer and poke holes into the skin, being careful not to poke too far into the fat layer.  Mix together the Chinese 5-spice, 1 tsp of salt, sugar, minced garlic, and black pepper and rub into the meaty sides, making sure that you don't touch the skin side.

Rub the baking soda on the skin and wipe off any excess.  Let the pork belly rest in the fridge for a couple of hours so the meat can marinade.  Heat up the oven to 350-degrees.  Before putting it in the oven, rub the remaining 2 tsp of salt on the skin and place it on a raised baking rack.  Cook with the skin side down for about 35-40 mins.  Take the meat out of the oven and flip the pork belly over and wipe off any excess fat.  You can use skewers and stab any extra holes so that the skin can bubble up and become crispy.  Place the meat back on the highest rack, closest to the broiler element and allow it to cook and dry up.  This step, you want to watch with the oven door open so to make sure it doesn't burn.  If there is a lot of fat, use paper towel to blot off the excess to ensure maximum crispiness.

Once done, let the pork belly rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Cutting tip:  You want to cut through the meaty side first and stop at the skin. Once at the skin, use the other hand to whack down on the knife or otherwise the crispy skin will come off as one piece.

Cháo Thịt Bằm - Rice Porridge

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

Some days when I am feeling under the weather or I am looking for some good comfort food, I make a pot of chao.  Chao is an important part of Vietnamese culture.  It feeds babies, sick, and elderly.  It may appear to be easy to make but it took me many tries to get it to the way I like.  But I have made it easy by actually measuring the water to rice ratio.

1 cup jasmine rice
5 cups water
1/4 lb ground pork/chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp onion, chopped
2 tsp fish sauce/ soy sauce
2 tsp ginger powder or 1 inch knob, sliced thinly into sheets
Black pepper

Start off by rinsing the rice.  Add the water and ginger powder and allow for it to boil at a medium heat.  It will thicken around 30 mins. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom.  The rice will bloom to a butterfly shape.  I normally add more water to loosen it at this point but it is up to your desired consistency.

In a pan, heat up some oil.  Add the garlic and onions. Brown until fragrant but not burned.  Add and brown the ground meat.  When it is done, add the fish sauce.  If you don't want your house to smell like fish sauce, add it into the porridge instead.  Dump the mixture into the porridge with the green onion and cilantro and combine well. Top off with the black pepper if you have a cough.  Take it off the heat and allow to cool a little before eating.

Gà Kho Gừng - Ginger Chicken

Difficulty: Medium

Ginger has medicinal properties known to calm a upset stomach and settle cancer patients' stomach after a round of chemotherapy. It also helps with blood circulation and believed to have anticancer agents.  Ginger has been part of Asian cooking for over 4000 years.

I can remember eating this dish as a child and hating it because of the pungent and spicy components of the dish.  In college, a Laos guy from Sanford, FL made their version of this dish and I was in tears.  It was so spicy and bitter.  I can remember him sitting there making 2 or more cups of julienne slices to add to a half pound of chicken.  When I look back on the dish, it was very delicious.  So I made my own version of the recipe.

1 lb chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into bit size pieces
3 to 4 pieces of 1 inch nubs of ginger, cut into little match stick pieces
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
Water

Start off by heating up a pan and adding enough oil to cover the bottom.  Add your minced garlic and ginger matchsticks.  Saute until fragrant.  Add the bite size chicken pieces.  Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes. Add the water, salt, pepper, sugar, and fish sauce. Stir it well then cover.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until when the ginger is soft but still have a crunch.  Taste the sauce and adjust the flavors.