Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly & Eggs with Coca Cola / Coke Soda (Thịt Kho Tàu Coca Cola)

Thit Kho Tau is a classic dish served in almost every Vietnamese home, but you will unlikely find it on a restaurant menu. It’s comfort food for many, and it’s one of the dishes made to usher in the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet).

The Vietnamese believe that what you do during the first day of the Lunar New Year sets a tone for the rest of the year. All the housework, cooking, and any hard labor must be done before then. This is the reason a large pot of Thit Kho Tau is made. It can be made in advance and actually tastes better over the course of a few days.

What is Thit Kho Tau?

Thit Kho Tau is slowly braised pork belly and hardboiled eggs, in a flavorful brown caramelized sauce with coconut juice. It’s also known as Thit Kho, Thit Kho Nuoc Dua and Thit Kho Trung.

Like many Vietnamese dishes, the pork is traditionally marinated in a mixture of fish sauce and sugar, and slowly simmered with hard-boiled eggs in coconut water until the pork belly is ridiculously tender that it can be easily cut with a spoon. The sauce, or more accurately broth, is a perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors. It can be used as a vegetable dipping sauce or every Vietnamese kid’s favorite, drizzle over a warm bowl of freshly steamed rice.

Thit Kho Tau typically uses skin-on pork belly. You can find skin-on pork belly at many Asian stores. Look for cuts with even layers of meat, fat and skin. For a leaner version, use skinless pork belly, or pork shoulder/butt. But keep in mind, skin-on pork belly is the essence of the dish.

Coconut Juice Substitutions

In the states, we always have Coco Rico coconut soda on hand. Instead of fresh coconut juice which is not widely available, coconut soda is a great substitute. It imparts mild coconut flavor and the carbonation in the soda helps to tenderize the meat.

If you don’t have either fresh coconut juice or coconut soda, you can use 7-Up soda. In fact, any other clear mild-tasting soda will do.

In this particular recipe, I’m focusing on making Thit Kho Tau using Coca Cola or Coke soda.

Why Use Coke Soda?

It acts the same way as any other soda substitute, but with the added benefit of coloring. Coca Cola eliminates the need to “color” the meat with the Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce (nuoc mau) before hand. After an hour and a half of slow braising, the soda reduces and darkens the meat on its own. This makes the recipe easier as we don’t have to deal with caramelizing sugar.

Side note: Another substitute for Nuoc Mau is the use of thick soy sauce. Just a smidge in the marinade will produce beautiful results.

This recipe yields a deliciously tender, juicy pork belly that will bring you back to your childhood. Make a large pot for the new year and serve alongside steamed rice and pickled side dishes to offset and complement the fattiness. Cheat recipe using Coke soda below.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

Chúc mừng năm mới! Dồi dào sức khỏe. Vạn sự như ý.

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