Thịt Kho Tàu Instant Pot (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs)Author: Katie Le | Katie’s Test KitchenIngredients2 lbs of Pork Picnic, Butt or Belly (cut into large chunks, 1-2 inches thick)
1 dozen eggs
1 shallot (minced)
4 green onions (white part smashed and minced for marinade, green part chopped for garnishes)
Fish sauce (I used Red Boat. Another good brand is 3 Crabs)
Sugar
Ground pepper
Coconut Caramel Sauce for color (make your own if you wish), see FAQ #8 for photo reference
3 cups of Coco Rico Soda (or coconut water)
1 cup of water
red chili to garnish
OPTIONAL items: 1 lb of fried tofu or 1 lb of large/tiger shrimps, heads on preferred (washed well, trimmed legs)
Directionsbowl add 4 tbsp of fish sauce, 3 tbsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp of ground pepper (more or less to your taste) and 1/4 tsp of coconut caramel sauce. Mix marinade well and add chopped white part onion and minced shallot. Toss the pork into the marinade and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or more.
For the eggs, place on a trivet/steamer basket. Add about 2 cups of water to inner pot. Select Manual/Pressure Cook, High Pressure, 4 minutes. Quick release when cook time is over. Gently remove eggs and drop them into an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel and set aside.
Add pork along with the marinade sauced into inner pot. Gently add peeled eggs. Pour 3 cups of Coco Rico Soda, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of fish sauce.
Select Manual/Pressure Cook, High Pressure, 30 minutes, 10 minutes NPR.Once Cook Time is over, wait additional 10 minutes then Quick Release and open lid. If you are adding any of the optional item such as fried tofu or shrimps, then “Cancel” Keep Warm and select “Saute”, “Adjust” to “Normal”. Add the optional item and bring the broth to a boil for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and make adjustments with sugar and/or fish sauce if necessary [If the sauce is too bland for you add more fish sauce; if it’s too salty, add more sugar and/or dilute with water]. Please adjust to you taste! Garnish with chopped green onion and fresh chili. Serve with rice, raw vegetables (cucumber and tomato), boiled vegetables (broccoli and chayote) or Pickled Mustard Greens or Pickled Bean Sprouts!