Thit Kho

Thit Kho is a Vietnamese dish rarely found in restaurants, but served in all Vietnamese households. My grandma traditionally makes this dish with water rather than coconut juice, but my aunt likes the consistency the juice provides.

For the full recipe click here:

http://gastronomyblog.com/2007/03/20/thit-kho/

19 Responses to “Thit Kho”


  1. 1 angel van March 21, 2007 at 2:52 am

    i love this. my mom just made this for dinner tonight. but she always put ginger in it when she parboils the pork. it takes away some of the smell.

  2. 2 blee27 March 21, 2007 at 9:06 pm

    this brings back glorious memories! to be honest the eggs are my favorite part of the whole dish… ok well no, besides the skin on the pork when its all said and done!

  3. 3 vettiliveinnorthcote March 22, 2007 at 12:43 pm

    i’m assuming you are using “teaspoons” of sugar? and do you mean coconut water, milk, or ???

  4. 4 Tran March 22, 2007 at 2:45 pm

    I’ve been trying to find a good recipe for this. My grandma never taught me how to make it, and now that I’ve moved away, I’m always craving it.

  5. 5 Yen March 22, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    I just learned that when you make it with the larger cuts of meat, it’s southern. If you use smaller 1/2 inch strips of pork belly and the sauce is thicker, more caramalized, it’s considered northern.

  6. 6 Gastronomer March 22, 2007 at 4:54 pm

    hi vettiliveinnorthcote — 1.5 tablespoons is approximately what my aunt uses. you can definitely use less if you prefer. vietnamese cooking is far from a science ;-)

    coconut juice, usually found in a soda can in asian grocery stores, or water can be used. do not use coconut milk.

    tran — this recipe is delicious. please give it a try!

    yen — interesting fact. my family is from the south and yet our thit kho preparations are more northern.

  7. 7 Foodlover March 24, 2007 at 6:10 am

    Every woman in my family has “độc chiêu” dish – sort of a killer dish.
    Thit Kho (Thịt Kho) is my sister’s “độc chiêu”.

    She lets the pot sit and stew for 5-6 hours or more. That’s the secret to having the meat and the fat melt in your mouth. At our family-get-togethers…..I just eat her thit kho like there’s no tomorrow. It’s those few times a year when the word “cholesterol” is replaced by “joy” :-)

  8. 8 buix0058 April 28, 2007 at 5:10 am

    Hi There,

    How do you caramelize exactly? That part never works for me! sigh

  9. 9 Duc August 22, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    My Mother showed me how to make this dish. You don’t even have to caramelize the sugar. All you have to do is cook it at a low temperature until the liquid reduces and it magically turns color.

  10. 10 toan October 1, 2007 at 6:13 pm

    i think adding caramelized sugar helps enrich the taste of sauce. i love this dish especially the eggs. btw, you can buy this at vietnamese deli. here in northern virginia, you can buy already made dishes very cheaply.

  11. 11 Tham Thuy Hang October 2, 2007 at 10:44 pm

    Yes that’s my real name. My sisters and I used to beg her to make it.I’m actually making this tonight.My husband is american.He says he hates the smell,but he too always begs me to make it.It is sooo good,and brings back good memories.

  12. 12 Tham Thuy Hang October 2, 2007 at 11:24 pm

    I just went over my comment.Sorry,”her” is my mother.

  13. 13 Jerry Hoang October 8, 2007 at 3:30 am

    ADD canned quail eggs instead.. You can find them at the asian grocery stores. DELICIOUS!!

  14. 14 Jennifer Dinh March 17, 2008 at 6:32 am

    If you slit the eggs 4 time on each egg, the flavor soaks in much better, too! This is my favourite =D

  15. 15 Lan May 28, 2008 at 9:05 am

    thank you for this! great stuff!

  16. 16 Alain July 1, 2008 at 12:54 pm

    Yes I love this dish sooo much . The best part is the eggs. I like the eggs so much that I made this dish only with eggs and it tasted so delicious . If you ‘re so concerned with fat, you can skip the pork or substitute the pork with chicken meat.
    Bon appetit!

  17. 17 zunkim March 13, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    Oops are you a vietnamese? I just love this, especially the eggs :) )


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