Thịt kho: Vietnamese caramel pork with eggs

Pork slowly braised in a dark, savoury caramel with fish sauce until meltingly tender, with boiled eggs soaking up the sauce. A much-loved Vietnamese family dish, always eaten with plenty of rice.

Ingredients

• 700 g Pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
• 40 g Caster sugar
• 40 ml Fish sauce
• 80 g Shallots, sliced
• 0.3 Garlic, chopped
• 2 g Black pepper, freshly ground
• 4 Eggs
• 2 Spring onions, sliced
• 320 g Jasmine rice
• 300 g Pak choi, halved

Method

1. Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, cool them in cold water and peel.
2. Put the sugar in a heavy casserole with 2 tablespoons of water over a medium heat. Let it bubble without stirring, swirling the pan, until it turns a deep amber. Take care, it is very hot.
3. Add the pork, shallots and garlic (stand back, it will spit) and stir to coat in the caramel. Cook for a few minutes until the pork is sealed.
4. Add the fish sauce, black pepper and enough water to just cover the pork. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently, stirring now and then.
5. Add the peeled eggs, take off the lid and simmer until the pork is very tender and the sauce has reduced and turned glossy. Skim off any excess fat.
6. While the pork finishes, cook the rice in a lidded pan with 480ml water. Steam or boil the pak choi for 3 minutes.
7. Serve the pork and eggs over rice with the greens, spooning over the sauce, and scatter with spring onions.