Thịt Kho Tàu (Northern Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly & Eggs)

Prepare the meat:

1. Put the pork in a pot. Fill the pot with water until it just covers the pork. Add 1/2 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of vinegar.
2. Bring the pot to high heat. Once the water boils, let it continue boiling for about 2 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse the pork under running water until the water runs clear.
4. Dice the pork belly into 1.5" (3.5 cm) cubes.
5. Combine the pork with fish sauce, Vietnamese caramel sauce, sugar, and minced shallots. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the eggs;

1. I often boil the eggs for around six and a half minutes from cold water, but feel free to use your usual method. After boiling, transfer the eggs to cold water to cool them down.
2. Peel the eggs, and then use kitchen paper to gently pat them dry. It helps absorb any excess water.
3. To prevent the eggs from exploding when frying, you can air fry them or bake them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes. If using the oven, preheat the oven for 10 minutes.
4. Give them one final pat-dry with kitchen paper before frying.
5. You could either deep-fry the eggs (the crispy skin will cover the entire egg) or pan-fry them, using less oil.

Simmer the pork & eggs:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a pot. Sauté the pork until it's cooked on the outside. Pour in enough water (about 2.5 cups / 600ml) to just cover the pork.
2. Simmer the pork over medium heat until the sauce thickens to about halfway.
3. Add the eggs. Season once more with fish sauce, sugar, chicken powder, and perhaps some Vietnamese caramel sauce if you want your thịt kho to have a deeper color.
4. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Give it one final seasoning.