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Recipe: Braised Pork with Coconut Milk

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Image Credit to: Lionel&Hetta

Foods that are braised always look good and delicious, especially during the cold weather. The braised pork is soft, sweet, and rich while the coconut milk gives an aromatic flavour to the meat. Fish, chicken, and beef can also be used to substitute the pork meat.

Braised pork with coconut milk is a well-known Vietnamese comfort food. At some places, hard-boiled eggs are also added to the dish. It is best served with hot rice and fresh greens on the side such as lettuce and chopped cabbage. The pork is usually marinated in shallots and garlic before cooking slowly in coconut milk until the meat tender.

The marinated pork is generally prepared the night before and left to marinade overnight, and the dish is cooked the next day. Thus, this dish commonly enjoyed during the weekend or holidays. This dish can take up to 2 hours to prepare but it is worth every minute, to enjoy this succulent dish.

Ingredients (4 servings):

  • 1 kg of pork meat
  • 3 tbsp of cooking oil
  • 1 Litre of coconut milk
  • 1 red onion (finely minced)
  • 3 tbsp of palm sugar/brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp of fish sauce
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs (peeled)

(For the marinade)

  • 2 red chillies (crushed)
  • 8 Asian shallots (crushed)
  • 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 1 Lime (juiced)
  • 1 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tsp of salt

Directions:

  1. Put pork and the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Mix them well and leave in the refrigerator overnight or for 2-3 hours. Make sure to remove the pork from the fridge at least an hour before cooking.
  2. Heat some cooking oil in a large braising pan. Stir-fry red onions until brownish and fragrant.
  3. Add all the marinated pork into the pot and cooked it on medium heat. Add palm sugar and allow it to caramelise slightly. Make sure the pork is cooked until it turns brown.
  4. Add soy sauce and fish sauce into the pan. Mix them well.
  5. Next, add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Skim off any excess fats and marinade ingredients that will float to the surface.
  6. Cover the pot and turn down the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  7. Then, add the peeled eggs and allow it to simmer in the juice for an additional 5 minutes. Make sure to turn the eggs, so they brown evenly in the sauce.
  8. Serve them with hot rice and fresh salads on the side. Enjoy!